To stop Putin, we need more innovation – European Commissioner for Defense
European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius said that Europe and Ukraine should increasingly integrate their defense industries and innovate more to stop Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. The official's words are quoted by the British TV channel Sky News.
This is partly because the time will come when Europe will need to take "full responsibility" for its defense, Kubilius said, referring to the projected withdrawal of U.S. troops.
"To stop Putin, we need to produce more, we need to innovate more, and we need to do it together in the European Union and with Ukraine," Kubilius said .
He said that on Monday, May 12, the EU-Ukraine working group will meet for the first time. The purpose of the meeting is to "promote the integration of our defense industry, to facilitate the development of joint projects or joint procurement processes.".
Kubilius emphasized that Europe can adopt Ukrainian innovations, particularly in the field of drones and artificial intelligence.
"In the future, when Europe will need to assume full responsibility for the protection of the European continent, Ukraine will become an essential part of the new European security architecture," he emphasized .
- on May 9, 2025, Umerov said that the EU had allocated €1 billion to the Ukrainian defense industry from the excess profits from frozen Russian assets.
- On May 12, it was reported that the first contracts for European investments in Ukraine's military-industrial complex had already been signed.