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Frozen Russian Assets to Fund EU’s $92.7 Million Defense Package for Ukraine in 2026

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Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk
Cyril Barabaltchouk
News Writer
Frozen Russian Assets to Fund EU’s $92.7 Million Defense Package for Ukraine in 2026
Ukrainian soldiers from a 2S22 Bohdana artillery crew of the Striletskyi special forces police battalion of the Main Department of the National Police in Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine. (Source: Getty Images)

The European Union is preparing a new $92.7 million defense support package for Ukraine funded by profits from frozen Russian assets. The payment is expected to be made at the start of 2026, according to a senior European official who spoke to Suspilne anonymously on November 27.

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This will be the fourth installment of payments derived from Russia’s frozen assets, with previous installments totaling $214.4 million annually, divided into two payments. The funds will primarily support Ukraine’s defense industry, particularly the procurement of drones, air defense systems, and possibly some ammunition, according to Suspilne.

The European Commission will present options to EU member states regarding the use of these funds, with the aim of further integrating Ukraine’s defense industry into the European defense sector.

The European Parliament recently approved a bill establishing the European Defense Industrial Program (EDIP) , which includes the integration of Ukraine’s defense industry into the EU’s military-industrial complex. The program will be formally submitted for approval by the EU Council, with implementation expected to run through 2027.

Previously, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that Poland will be the largest beneficiary of the EU’s SAFE (Security Action for Europe)  program, designed to support the country’s defense industry and broader economy, according to Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland.

The program includes nearly $51 billion in funding for projects such as the Eastern Shield , defense technology development, and national infrastructure projects tied to security.

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EDIP is a Regulation proposed by the Commission to start implementing concrete measures identified in European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS). The regulation aims to bridge the gap between the ending of the short-term emergency measures such as ASAP and EDIRPA and ensure the EU’s defence industrial readiness for the future.

Adopted by the Council of the European Union on the 27th of May 2025, SAFE (Security Action for Europe) is the EU’s new financial instrument designed to provide financial support to Member States to speed up defence readiness by allowing urgent and major investments in support of the European defence industry, with a focus on closing critical capability gaps.

East Shield (Polish: Tarcza Wschód) is a national defense initiative launched by the Polish government to fortify its eastern borders with Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The program represents one of the most significant investments in national security and border defense in Poland’s post-war history.

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