EU needs more integration with Ukraine defence industry: Kubilius
An EU-Ukraine Task Force to boost defence industries' ties is meeting for the first time on Monday with Brussels keen to replicate Kyiv's innovation and production prowesses since the beginning of Russia's aggression.
"Today, we announce the creation of the inter-institutional EU-Ukraine Task Force. And today Ukrainian and European experts of that group will convene for the very first meeting to assist integration of our defence industries, to facilitate development of joint projects or joint procurement processes," Andrius Kubilius, the European commissioner for defence and space, told the second edition of the EU-Ukraine Defence Industry Forum.
Supply chain issues and capability areas identified as priorities including explosives and drones are of particular interest for the group.
"We need to learn from Ukraine how to create a drone production and operation infrastructure," Kubilius said, adding that when it comes to drones "who needs integration more: Ukraine or Europe? My answer - Europe".
According to the Ukrainian government, the country's annual defence production capacity is expected to reach €35 billion this year, a 35-fold increase from 2022 when Russia launched its unprovoked full-scale attack against its neighbour.
Europe's industry, meanwhile, initially struggled to ramp up, infamously missing a target to produce one million ammunition rounds within 12 months. It's now on course to produce two million rounds this year.
Ukraine's defence companies are not only battle-tested, but also "fast", " modern", and able to produce at "half the price" compared to their European counterparts, Kubilius said.
"There is a need for Europeans not only to buy weapons from Ukraine and for Ukraine. There is a clear need for Europeans to buy technologies, know-how of production and of management systems from Ukraine for our own European defence industries," he also said.
Alexander Kamyshin, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, told the same forum that the conflict will go down in history "as the first world drone war".
Ukraine, he added, has had "substantial success in manufacturing all types of unmanned systems" and now has "a solution for AI-driven auto-targeting for aerial strike drones".
"The next big thing is the swarms of drones, coordinated attack capability."
"We are ready to share what our industry learnt in this war with you, our strategic partners," he said, adding: "We're here to build the arsenal of the free world together."
The EU is planning to pour hundreds of billions of euros into the defence sector over the coming four years, including up to €650 billion through additional fiscal space and €150 billion via a new loan programme, called SAFE, aimed at boosting joint procurement of European-made capabilities, and from which Ukraine and its companies can benefit too.
Member states are currently negotiating the parameters of SAFE and are expected to conclude talks before the end of the month. It will then take over six months for the first disbursements to come through.
The Commission is meanwhile holding a Strategic Dialogue with the EU-based industry this week, followed by an Implementation Dialogue towards the end of May and a simplification omnibus for the sector in mid-June.
An Industry Outlook plan, based on national capability targets provided by member states, is meanwhile expected to be released in late June, when EU leaders are also set to approve common European flagship projects in defence.
"Peace through strength will come from production power and brain power. To stop Putin, we need to produce more, we need to innovate more, and we need to do that together: in the EU and with Ukraine," Kubilius said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
France eyes stricter laws for attacks on police after PSG win riots
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin says he wants tougher punishments for anyone found guilty of violence against police officers, in comments that come after clashes broke out following Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) Champions League win. In a social media post, Darmanin argued that the current legal framework is too lenient and insufficient to deal with incidents occurring in the country. "Following this weekend's serious public order incidents and repeated disturbances, some of the convictions for violence, particularly against law enforcement officers and for destruction of property, are no longer commensurate with the level of violence in our country," he wrote. He added that magistrates must be able to respond with a wider scale of penalties that is "truly adapted to today's delinquency." "As I have publicly proposed, we need to radically change the law," Darmanin said, calling for an end to obligatory adjustments for jail terms of fewer than six months. This sees judges find alternative arrangements to prison for shorter sentence and allows detainees to serve time at home with an electronic bracelet. He also urged for an end to suspended sentences in such cases and a law to set up a "systematic minimum sentence" for those found guilty. A minimum of three months in prison for any assault on a representative of the state or a very high fine for any destruction were cited as examples. "These proposals, which we must implement quickly, guarantee the independence of the judiciary, which we must all protect and the essential firmness and common sense that our fellow citizens want," he stressed. Darmanin, who expressed interest in standing in the 2027 presidential election, has been vocal about increasing punishments for criminals. However, the measures floated on Tuesday would require new legislation and it's not guaranteed that lawmakers would back the proposals. PSG beat Inter Milan by a record 5-0 on Saturday at the Allianz Arena in Munich, bagging the biggest prize in European club football for the first time. Victory celebrations soon erupted and while these were largely peaceful, they spun out of control in some areas, particularly on the Champs-Elysées. According to Paris police, 559 people were arrested after more than 200 cars were torched and police clashed with young people. Two people died during the turbulent night. In Paris, a person who was riding a scooter was hit by a car and succumbed to his injuries and in the southern town of Dax, a 17-year-old teenager was stabbed to death. Clashes continued on Sunday night with people allegedly shooting fireworks at security forces, trying to vandalise shops and blocking traffic. Another 79 people were detained. When receiving the triumphant team at the Elysée Palace on Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron condemned what he called "unacceptable" violence during the festivities. "Nothing can justify what has happened in the last few hours," he said.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Weinstein lawyer brands accusers 'women with broken dreams'
A New York state appeals court had thrown out Weinstein's 2020 convictions after irregularities in the presentation of witnesses at his original trial, forcing two victims of his alleged abuse to testify a second time. "If there is a doubt about their case, you gotta throw it out. These are the people they want you to believe, they're all women with broken dreams," defense attorney Arthur Aidala said of the women who testified against Weinstein at this trial. Weinstein, the producer of box-office hits "Pulp Fiction" and "Shakespeare in Love," has never acknowledged wrongdoing. The cinema magnate, whose downfall in 2017 sparked the global #MeToo movement, has been on trial again since April 15 in a scruffy Manhattan courtroom. He is serving a 16-year prison sentence after being convicted in California of raping and assaulting a European actress more than a decade ago. Two of the accusers in this case -- onetime production assistant Miriam Haley and then-aspiring actress Jessica Mann -- testified at Weinstein's original trial. Their accounts helped galvanize the #MeToo movement nearly a decade ago, but the case is being re-prosecuted at a new trial in New York. His 2020 convictions on charges relating to Haley and Mann, and his 23 year prison term, were overturned last year by the New York Court of Appeals. The tribunal ruled that the way witnesses were handled in the original trial was unlawful. 'He didn't listen' Some 20 years after the earliest incidents were alleged to have taken place, Aidala sought to cast doubt on the credibility of the accusers. He said it was not a question of whether his client engaged in sexual relations with the three women, but that those encounters were consensual. He described the encounters as "transactional" and "casting couch" scenarios involving young women who used their beauty and charm to make an older man open doors for them. Weinstein was the one they used, he argued, countering prosecutors who portrayed Weinstein as an all-powerful Hollywood figure. Aidala loudly reeled off metaphors to explain his version of events, seeking to win over the jury with jokes. He mimicked the victims to highlight inconsistencies, likening one of them to a child caught in a lie. The veteran defense attorney stressed that victims continued to associate with Weinstein after the alleged assaults, something they did not dispute, explaining that they feared jeopardizing their careers. During the trial, the three victims testified that their sexual encounters with Harvey Weinstein were not consensual. The retrial also heard new evidence from Kaja Sokola, a Polish former model who testified that Weinstein first sexually assaulted her when she was a minor at age 16. She said one occasion Weinstein pushed her onto a bed and forced her to have sex. "I told him to stop," she said, "but he didn't listen." Weinstein has appeared daily in a wheelchair, physically subdued, but laughing and joking with his legal team. This time, hearings have received less media attention, taking place in the shadow of the highly anticipated trial of hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs, on trial blocks away at federal court on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering. © 2025 AFP
Euronews
3 hours ago
- Euronews
Meloni meets Macron and Fico in Rome with Ukraine war topping agenda
Meloni first received Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico who arrived at the prime minister's residence, the Chigi Palace, at around 4pm. According to a statement released by the Slovak government, the two leaders discussed the development of bilateral relations and the possibility of further cooperation in the field of energy. "I really appreciate the pragmatic approach of your Prime Minister. I really like your pragmatic way of dealing with issues," Fico told reporters following the meeting. "We focused on the war in Ukraine. The President of the Council was very interested in my position, since Slovakia is a neighbouring country, of course," he said. "We discussed the issue of repowering, that is, what will happen in Europe when all energy supplies from Russia will no longer reach the European Union." "I think there are countries in the EU that want to prolong this war with the idea that this is the way to harm Russia. I don't think this strategy works," Fico stressed. Fico is a divisive figure at home with his critics accusing him of being pro-Russia. In January, Fico threatened to cut financial aid for more than 130,000 Ukrainian refugees living in the country as part of a set of retaliatory measures against Kyiv over its decision to halt the flow of Russian gas through its territory to Slovakia. He has also said that Ukraine will never be allowed to join NATO, stopped military aid to Ukraine and criticised EU sanctions on Russia, all views which are largely at odds with the European mainstream. Fico and Meloni "discussed their support for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and their commitment to the reconstruction of the country in view of the Ukraine Recovery Conference that Italy will host in July 2025," a joint government statement said. Later on Tuesday, Meloni welcomes France's President Emmanuel Macron to the Chigi Palace for talks which covered Ukraine, Gaza and relations with the European Union and the Trump administration. "Prime Minister Meloni is part of the collective format of the Coalition of the Willing. She was present in the meetings in Paris and London, Italy is an important partner," the Elysée Palace said in a statement released on Monday. That was a reference to a group of European countries spearheaded by Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer primarily to continue support for Ukraine's armed forces. The group is also working on the creation of a reassurance force that could be deployed to Ukraine as an additional security guarantee in a post-war scenario. In addition to Italy, the coalition also includes Germany, Denmark, Greece, Portugal and Romania among others. Italy's government said that both countries have "common positions" on many issues and expectations were high for productive talks but the leaders' opinions don't align on all issues. There have been differences of position regarding military support for Ukraine with Macron adopting a more aggressive stance while Italy has generally remained cooler. Macron has hinted at western boots on the ground in Ukraine while Meloni favours extending NATO's mutual defence agreement under Article 5 to Kyiv, an idea which hasn't found much support among allies. Meloni was noticeably absent from Macron's mid-May trip to Kyiv with Starmer and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz. And a week later she also didn't attend a working meeting of the leaders of the Coalition of the Willing in Tirana on the sidelines of the European Political Community summit. Tuesday's meeting and working dinner were expected to bridge some of those gaps and see discussions on economic cooperation between Italy and France, with Meloni hoping to find common ground with Macron on addressing migration and transatlantic relations. The Court of Justice of the European Union on Tuesday ruled in favour of migrants' rights in a case filed by an Italian court regarding what can be considered aiding and abetting illegal immigration. The court ruling noted that, in the case of a third-country national entering the EU irregularly accompanied by a child in their care, their conduct "cannot be regarded as aiding and abetting illegal immigration." "In fact, the parent in this case assumes an obligation related to his or her personal responsibility towards the child in accordance with fundamental rights, in particular respect for family life and the child," the president of the EU's highest legal authority, Koen Lenaerts, explained in his judgment. With this preliminary ruling, the court agrees with the Court of Bologna, which filed the proceedings in July 2023 following the entry into Italy of a Congolese citizen in 2019. The woman entered the country at the airport border of Bologna with two minors — her daughter and niece, over whom she had actual care following the death of the niece's mother — using false documents. She said she fled Congo after receiving threats from her ex-partner and took the two minors with her because she feared for their physical well-being. She was arrested and is being prosecuted for facilitating unauthorised entry into Italy. The Italian court had asked the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) whether the 2002 directive on the facilitation of illegal immigration was compatible with the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The referring court doubted whether the directive provides for humanitarian assistance as a justification for making the crime of aiding and abetting not punishable. In other words, it was asking the EU court about the scope of the general offence of facilitation of unauthorised entry, provided for by EU law. "The court answers that the conduct of a person who, in breach of the rules governing the movement of people across borders, brings into the territory of a member state minors who are third-country nationals and are accompanying him or her, and over whom he or she exercises actual care, does not fall within the scope of that offence," the ruling on Tuesday said. It added that this conduct "does not constitute facilitation of illegal immigration, which EU law seeks to combat" but rather "the exercise by that person of his or her responsibility stemming from the family relationship and the actual care over those minors." Lenaerts went further, stating that the interpretation is necessary, also in light of the fundamental right to asylum. He explained that, because the woman had made an application for international protection, she could not be regarded as staying illegally on the territory. This is the case so long as no decision has been given on her application at first instance, Lenaerts explained.
