Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space of the European Union, emphasized that the EU has the opportunity to substantially increase military assistance to Ukraine by acquiring arms from local producers.

Source: Kubilius on social media platform X

According to him, the US and the EU allocate around 40 billion euros annually for military aid to Ukraine. However, Kubilius believes these funds could be used more effectively by investing in domestic arms purchases.

"If Trump cannot persuade Putin to make peace, we could present more compelling arguments for peace quickly by significantly boosting our military support for Ukraine," Kubilius stated.

He further explained that the cost of arms produced in Ukraine is approximately half that of similar weapons from the EU or the US. Thus, the volume of weapons supplied to Ukraine could effectively double without increasing expenses.

"The real cost of our support will rise to 80 billion euros," he concluded.

Kubilius also highlighted the new EU security loans, which allow member states to finance military purchases for Ukraine. In his view, this paves the way for realizing the strategy of "peace through strength."

"Security loans are a powerful tool for Ukraine!" the official emphasized.

Additional information: Ukrainian officials have repeatedly urged European governments to adopt the so-called "Danish model" of aid to Ukraine, which involves funding military support through targeted funds with a focus on purchasing arms directly from Ukraine. This initiative has been supported by the Netherlands, Norway, and the Czech Republic. The EU sees this scheme as the basis for a long-term military assistance strategy for Ukraine.