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How a European Defense Union Might Be Taking Shape Around Ukraine’s Place in Europe
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Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said a European Defense Union is already taking shape as part of Europe’s new security architecture, speaking at the GLOBSEC 2026 forum, UNITED24 Media reported on May 23.
Budrys said Ukraine’s NATO membership remains the strongest security guarantee, but added that if that route remains blocked, Ukraine’s EU membership becomes the next available security track.
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He argued that Europe is already moving in that direction through deeper defense coordination, joint capability planning, and a growing recognition that Ukraine’s security cannot be separated from the continent’s own defense.
Budrys warned against pushing Ukraine’s EU accession timeline to 2030 or 2035, arguing that Europe needs faster political decisions on Ukraine’s place in its security architecture.
“European Union membership is the next security guarantee. And inside that, we have to build a European Defense Union.”
Kęstutis Budrys
Lithuanian Foreign Minister
He said the guarantees being discussed are not only about Ukraine, but about Europe’s own security.
“It is not about guaranteeing only to Ukraine. It is also about European Union security, European security guarantees with Ukrainians,” Budrys said.
He also warned that building such a system would require real defense spending and long-term political commitment from European governments. “It will be costly,” Budrys added.
The view that Ukraine belongs inside NATO has been echoed across the region in recent weeks.
This May, Finland's foreign minister called for Kyiv's accelerated integration into the alliance, citing the operational credibility of Ukraine's armed forces after more than 4 years of full-scale war.
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