EU weighs 6.6 billion euros fund to buy US weapons for Ukraine, Kyiv says
The EU is considering allocating 6.6 billion euros ($7.7 billion) from the European Peace Facility (EPF) to purchase U.S. weapons for Kyiv, Ukraine's Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sept. 10.
"During the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, we received an important signal that support for Ukraine will continue and grow stronger," Shmyhal said after the Sept. 9 Ramstein-format meeting.
Since U.S. President Donald Trump began his second term, Washington has not approved any new aid package to Kyiv. In July, Trump announced an agreement allowing European allies to purchase American arms for Ukraine.
The EPF, created in 2021 to strengthen EU security policy, has been used to reimburse member states for military assistance to Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
In 2024, the EU redirected 90% of windfall profits from frozen Russian assets into the fund.
Hungary has blocked EPF allocations for months, forcing EU officials to seek alternative mechanisms. The European External Action Service proposed allowing voluntary contributions to bypass Budapest's veto, but France and Germany opposed the move.
Despite the deadlock, the proposed 6.6 billion-euro package would mark a significant shift.
The news comes as Russia continues to reject a ceasefire or meaningful negotiations and Ukraine faces continued aerial and missile assaults while allies debate long-term security guarantees.
