European Defence Fund
The European Defence Fund (EDF) is an EU programme established in 2021 as the Union's main instrument for financing collaborative defence research and capability development among member states. It awards co-financing on a competitive basis to consortia that typically bring together entities from several member countries, with the aim of strengthening the European defence industrial and technological base. The fund complements other EU instruments in the security and defence domain, including the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defence Agency. Its budget for the 2021–2027 period amounts to roughly €8 billion.
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EU to allocate extra €3.3 billion for Ukrainian missiles and drones, von der Leyen tells Zelensky
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced during a phone call with President Volodymyr Zelensky that the EU will allocate an additional €3.3 billion to Ukraine for missiles and drones. She said Russia continues to systematically strike Kyiv to make daily life unbearable for residents, and outlined plans for a joint EU-Ukraine air and missile defense system based on the Freya program.