EU News article: Ukraine, EU promises to speed up military deliveries

A recent article in EU News reported on the European Council summit's response to Ukraine's urgent military needs amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia. EU leaders pledged increased support, vowing to provide comprehensive political, economic, financial, military, humanitarian, and diplomatic support to Ukraine.

However, the summit highlighted challenges, particularly financial constraints hindering the rapid mobilisation of military support.

Quoted in the article, Jan Pie, Secretary General of ASD highlighted the importance of swift action in translating commitments into reality: “The European defence industry stands ready to support EU governments and institutions in this endeavour”...

“We are pleased to see that in the conclusions, many of the industry’s concerns have been addressed such as better access to public and private finance, incentives for joint development, procurement and investment, better predictability for defence companies through long-term contracts, a more supportive regulatory environment and reliable supply chains”. Now, he added, “it is crucial to swiftly translate this mandate into action.”

With regards to issues such as increased spending, establishment of multi-year fixed contracts and procurement decisions, “the responsibility rests with EU member states” ... “We therefore count on EU leaders to drive forward the concrete implementation of the commitments made today”.