Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Ihor Zhovkva, met with a delegation from the European Union led by Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss, Managing Director at European External Action Service for Peace, Security and Defense, and Herald Ruijters, Deputy Director General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defense Industry and Space.

Ihor Zhovkva expressed gratitude to EU member states for their support and noted that Ukraine is ready to contribute to the development of the EU’s Eastern Flank Watch / European Drone Defense Initiative.

According to him, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already discussed with partners Ukraine’s readiness to share experience for strengthening the defense potential of the entire EU.

Special attention during the meeting was given to the SAFE initiative. Both sides agreed on the importance of realizing all opportunities for joint production under this instrument.

“We count on effective cooperation with EU member states under the new SAFE instrument to meet Ukraine’s critical short- and medium-term defense needs. We expect that the member states participating in SAFE will include a ‘Ukrainian element’ with specific figures and types of equipment in their national security and defense investment plans at the end of November,” he noted.

The EU delegation provided information on the countries that have already confirmed their readiness to invest in joint defense projects with Ukraine under SAFE.

The deadline for submitting national plans is November 30. Ukraine and the European Union agreed to intensify joint efforts to ensure a significant share from each country in support of Ukraine with missiles, drones, and artillery munitions.

SAFE (Security and Actions for Europe) is a new EU financial instrument worth EUR 150 billion to strengthen defense capabilities. The mechanism provides long-term loans to finance defense projects of member states and partners, primarily Ukraine.

Nineteen countries have already expressed their readiness to take loans: Poland, Romania, France, Hungary, Italy, Belgium, Lithuania, Portugal, Latvia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Slovakia, Czechia, Croatia, Cyprus, Finland, Spain, Greece, and Denmark. The SAFE instrument will complement existing EU initiatives supporting Ukraine and enhance the ability of member states to deliver the necessary arms and military equipment to Ukraine.