Brussels – The European Union’s support for Ukraine shows no sign of easing. “Today, we will disburse €3.3 billion to help procure drones and missiles under the Ukraine Support Loan,” the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said. This is part of the 90 billion euro loan program known as the Ukraine Support Loan, designed to cover the state’s most urgent budgetary and industrial capacity needs in the defence sector for the 2026–2027 period. It aims “to deliver the support Ukraine needs to defend its people and its territory,” the President explained today (18 September).
With today’s grant – the fourth payment earmarked for defence – the Commission has disbursed almost 15 billion euros over the past year, “covering both defence and broader support.” According to a statement issued by the Commission via its official channels, “Ukraine’s military edge depends on the rapid availability of critical products in the required quantities and within very short timeframes. Accelerating EU deliveries through destocking, reprioritising orders and ramping up production remains crucial.”
As reiterated during the State of the Union address and as emerged yesterday (17 September) from a telephone call between von der Leyen and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelens’kyj, the European Commission is ready to use the remaining funds from the Security Action for Europe instrument (SAFE), a 150 billion euro European Union loan facility aimed at financing urgent defence investments by Member States – to launch a new joint EU-Ukraine programme. The initiative aims to develop a European air and missile defence system, building on the existing Freya anti-ballistic missile system, a pan-European ballistic missile defence project led by the Ukrainian defence company Fire Point. This initiative aims to combine “Ukraine’s battlefield experience with Europe’s industrial and technological strength.”
Following today’s payment, further disbursements will be made in accordance with the loan’s established regulations to support Ukraine. Next week, the head of the European Commission will attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where she will seek greater support for Kyiv. The message will be: “Europe is stepping up its commitment” and now “others must also step up their support.”
Today’s payment follows the Commission’s 11 September decision to approve allocating 6.1 billion euros for Ukraine’s air and missile defence and other defence needs, including PAC-3 missiles for the Patriot systems- US surface-to-air missiles for tactical defence. In February 2026, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2026/467, establishing a 90 billion euro loan to support the country invaded by Moscow. The support comprises two components: strengthening defence capabilities and industrial capacity in the defence sector, and maintaining essential state functions, public services, and economic resilience. After the government in Kyiv presented a financing strategy in March 2026, the Council adopted an implementing decision on 23 April 2026, allocating up to 45 billion euros for the current year. This amount includes 16.7 billion euros in budgetary support, divided equally between the Ukraine Facility – an EU instrument providing Ukraine with up to 50 billion euros in loans and grants to contribute to the country’s recovery, reconstruction, and modernisation – and macro-financial assistance (each capped at 8.35 billion euros), and 28.3 billion euros earmarked for defence industrial capabilities. Since 2022, the EU and its Member States have provided Ukraine with a total of 224.5 billion euros in support, including 3.8 billion euros from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets.
English version by the Translation Service of Withub
