EU defence chief calls for integration of Ukraine’s military into European defence architecture

The European Union’s Defence Commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, said the bloc should integrate Ukraine into a future European defence union, speaking at the European Defence and Security Summit in Brussels.

According to remarks reported by Reuters, Kubilius said: “It would be difficult to make sense of things if we did not regard the integration of Ukraine’s armed forces into our defence architecture in Europe as a vital issue.”

Kubilius stressed that Ukraine currently holds a dominant position on the battlefield thanks to the transformation of its military doctrine.

Calling for the integration of Europe’s defence industry and Ukraine’s manufacturing facilities into a single military structure, Kubilius said Ukraine should be fully integrated into the EU’s military market.

He added that the European Commission could present a detailed analysis of the defence market and initial proposals for next steps as early as next week.

At a later stage, the commissioner said, the Commission would propose changes to defence procurement rules and other market regulations.

Kubilius also outlined a strategic objective for the European Union.

He argued that EU member states should spend around €7 trillion on arms production over the next decade in order to surpass Russia in military strength and weapons stockpiles. According to Kubilius, such spending would be consistent with commitments under NATO to raise defence budgets to 5% of gross domestic product.

Urging Europeans to be prepared to bear the cost, Kubilius described it as “the price of peace.”

At the same time, he suggested moving away from the production of highly sophisticated weapons that are difficult to manufacture in large quantities. Instead, citing the example of drones used in Ukraine, he called for a focus on producing “enormous quantities of satisfactory weapons.”

The EU Defence Commissioner also underscored the need to integrate Ukraine’s innovative defence industry into Europe’s broader defence and technological base.