The "White Paper" on the future of EU defense, which was presented on March 19 by the European Commission, contains a separate section dedicated to Ukraine and provides for a significant increase in European assistance, including the supply of military equipment and at least 2 million units of ammunition per year.
Points of attention
- The European Union is stepping up its military assistance to Ukraine by supplying at least 2 million units of ammunition annually.
- The EU's White Paper on the Future of Defense outlines plans to provide air defense assets, training, and equipment support to Ukraine.
- The proposed SAFE loan instrument aims to enhance Ukraine's access to military equipment and strengthen its defense capabilities.
The European Union increases ammunition supplies to Ukraine
This was stated in Brussels during a press conference to present the aforementioned "White Paper" by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaia Kallas.
In the White Paper, we have taken into account the proposals contained in the Ukraine Support Initiative. This includes more assistance to Ukraine, including more ammunition — at least 2 million units (shells — ed.) per year — as well as air defense, drones, training and equipping Ukrainian brigades. It also includes direct support for the Ukrainian defense industry and increased access to space services. The new SAFE instrument (a credit facility with a capacity of 150 billion euros — ed.), proposed by the European Commission, will help achieve this ambitious goal.
Kaia Callas
High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
She recalled that the Russian economy is now fully in war mode. 40% of Russia's federal budget is spent on military purposes, which exceeds everything Russia spends on education, healthcare, and social policy combined.
"Regardless of the ongoing peace talks in Ukraine, this (Russian) investment is long-term and designed for a long-term plan of aggression. Ukraine must be armed to avoid future attacks. We need a long-term plan to be able to do this," the head of the EU diplomatic service noted.
She noted that the document presented by the European Commission today is the EU's plan to address immediate threats and build European defense in the longer term. It should help European countries achieve the defense capabilities contained in NATO's capability development targets.
We do this not to wage war, but to prepare for the worst, to protect peace for Europe, and to be strong in a world where might cannot mean right.
As reported, during the Special European Council held on March 6, 2025, EU leaders identified strategic directions for strengthening European defense, building the capabilities of the European defense industry, and agreed on the need to significantly increase defense spending at both the EU and national levels.
