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Ukraine Set to Join European Defence Fund as EU Agrees on Landmark Security Deal
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
The European Commission acknowledged the political agreement reached yesterday between the European Parliament and the Council, an action which enables the possibility for Ukraine to be associated with the $8.43 billion European Defense Fund (EDF), according to European Comission on November 6.
This represents a procedural step in the evolution of EU–Ukraine defense cooperation and the stated objective of strengthening Europe's collective security and industrial resilience. The agreement also establishes a framework for Ukraine's gradual integration into the European Defense Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB).
This agreement is integrated within a broader legislative package designed to increase defense-related investment under the EU budget, which is designated the “mini-omnibus.” The legislation is intended to render EU programmes more flexible and better aligned to support the EDTIB, innovation, and infrastructure, covering areas from military mobility to dual-use technologies.
It constitutes a component in the implementation of the ReArm Europe Plan and functions as a direct complement to the Mid-Term Review of the Cohesion Policy and the Defense Readiness Omnibus. This marks a new phase in cooperation with Ukraine and its defense industrial ecosystems.
The co-legislators provisionally agreed to modifications extending the scope of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform to encompass defense technologies. This permits the European Innovation Council Accelerator to support dual-use and defense innovation. Concurrently, the Digital Europe Programme will be expanded to include dual-use applications, while the Connecting Europe Facility will be adapted to enhance support for investments in military mobility.
The regulation additionally amends the European Defense Fund to facilitate greater support for the development of the European defense industry and enable more agile assistance for disruptive defense technologies.
This new legislation operates alongside the Commission's Mid-Term Review of Cohesion Policy, which entered into force on September 19, 2025. The MTR outlines a set of flexibilities intended to encourage Member States to carry out targeted reprogramming of funds toward several defined priorities, including defense and competitiveness.
Earlier, former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen stated that Ukraine risks becoming trapped in a “forever war” unless European countries significantly increase pressure on Russia and provide substantially more military assistance to Kyiv.
