Ukraine's parliament ratifies two EU defense industry agreements
The Verkhovna Rada ratified two agreements with the EU, both signed in Kyiv on 13 July 2026: one on financing under the European Defence Industry Programme, and one on Ukraine's participation in the European Defence Fund. The votes were 317 for bill №0391 and 312 for bill №0390.
Key points
- Bill №0391 (financing under the European Defence Industry Programme) passed with 317 votes.
- Bill №0390 (Ukraine's participation in the European Defence Fund) passed with 312 votes in the first reading and overall.
- Both agreements were signed in Kyiv on 13 July 2026.
- The financing agreement is aimed at the restoration, reconstruction, and modernization of Ukraine's defense-technological and industrial base.
- Participation in the European Defence Fund is intended to bring Ukrainian companies into joint EU defense research, development, and production projects.
- The European Defence Fund is an EU instrument supporting joint defense research and development and strengthening Europe's defense technological and industrial base.
Why it matters
The ratifications turn the July agreements into binding legal instruments, opening the European Defence Fund to Ukrainian companies and unlocking EU financing for rebuilding Ukraine's defense-industrial base. They mark an institutional deepening of EU-Ukraine defense-industrial cooperation beyond ad hoc support.
What happened
On 16 September 2026, the Verkhovna Rada ratified two agreements signed with the EU in Kyiv on 13 July 2026. Lawmakers adopted bill №0391, the financing agreement under the European Defence Industry Programme, by 317 votes. They then adopted bill №0390, ratifying Ukraine's participation in the European Defence Fund, by 312 votes in the first reading and overall. The financing agreement is designed to enable EU funding for the recovery, reconstruction, and modernization of Ukraine's defense-technological and industrial base. Joining the European Defence Fund is intended to draw Ukrainian firms into joint EU projects in defense research, development, and production and to build up Ukraine's defense-industrial innovation and manufacturing capacity.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian agency and media coverage led with the specific vote counts and bill numbers, presenting ratification as a domestic legislative milestone. The framing emphasizes the concrete benefits for Ukraine's defense-industrial complex — recovery, modernization, and integration of Ukrainian companies into joint EU projects.
Background
Both agreements were signed in Kyiv on 13 July 2026 alongside a broader EU-Ukraine defense industry partnership. The European Defence Fund is an EU instrument for supporting joint defense research and development and for strengthening the European defense technological and industrial base.