Ukraine and EU sign memorandum on defence cooperation
www.pravda.com.ua
Mon, 12 May 2025 18:49:45 +0300
Ukraine and the European Union have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the defence industry.
Source Ukrainian news agency Interfax Ukraine Details The signatures were put by Herman Smetanin, Minister of Strategic Industries of Ukraine, and Jan Pie, Secretary General of the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe ASD.
The signing took place on Monday 12 May in Brussels as part of the second EUUkraine Defence Industry Forum.
The purpose of the memorandum is to jointly promote the common interests of Ukrainian industry and ASD members.
The parties agreed to facilitate cooperation and partnership between Ukrainian defence companies and ASD members, as well as to promote the participation of Ukrainian companies in industrial consortia under relevant EU programmes.
These include the European Defence Fund or Horizon Europe.
Background Earlier, it was reported that Danylo Hetmantsev, Chairman of the Ukrainian Parliamentary Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy, believes that in order to increase the potential of Ukraines defence industry, a wellfounded and correct decision by the Cabinet of Ministers to allow the export of Ukrainian weapons is needed.
Hetmantsev believes such a government decision will significantly support domestic arms manufacturers.
To support this locomotive of the Ukrainian economy, we need to create a special legal and tax regime that our defence companies could use.
It was also reported that the European Union will allocate an additional 900 million for the purchase of weapons for Ukraine at the expense of unforeseen revenues from frozen Russian assets.
Over the next two weeks, we will also spend an additional 900 million to purchase weapons and ammunition for Ukraine, all of which will be financed by the surplus proceeds of frozen Russian assets, said Charles Fries, Deputy Secretary General for Peace, Security and Defence of the EU External Action Service.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Economy reported that Ukraine had received another tranche of 3.5 billion from the EU under the Ukraine Facility programme.
This is the first tranche of financial support that Ukraine received in 2025.
It is noted that of the 3.5 billion received 3.1 billion in concessional loans and 400 million in grants.
They will be used to cover public spending.
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