Andrius Kubilius
Andrius Kubilius is a Lithuanian politician who twice served as Prime Minister of Lithuania, from 1999 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2012. He is the leader of the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, the country's main centre-right party. After Lithuania joined the European Union, he sat in the European Parliament, working on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. In 2024 he was appointed European Commissioner for Defence and Space.
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EU allocates €2.86 billion to Ukraine for air defence, drones, and missiles
On 14 October, the European Commission allocated a €2.86 billion tranche to Ukraine from the defence component of the 90 billion euro Ukraine Support Loan for 2026–2027. The funds are earmarked for air defence systems, drones, missiles, radar stations, electronic warfare systems, and ammunition, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen citing Ukraine's most urgent operational needs and continued Russian air attacks.
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Trump announces "energy ceasefire" with Russia; Kremlin declines to confirm, Ukraine says it wasn't told
On 11 October, US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that an "energy ceasefire" between Russia and Ukraine was taking effect immediately, claiming both sides had agreed. The White House later told Axios that the proposal referred specifically to mutual cessation of strikes on oil refineries, described as "refinery for refinery." The Kremlin declined to confirm any deal, and within hours Russian forces struck energy infrastructure in Ukraine, including the TEC-5 thermal power plant in Kharkiv. Speaking by video link at the Warsaw Security Forum on 12 October, President Volodymyr Zelensky said the announcement was news to him, that Ukraine has only one oil refinery while Russia has an extensive network, and that if Russia does not agree to an energy ceasefire this winter, Ukraine will respond.
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Ukraine receives new €1.2–1.24 billion EU tranche for Ukrainian-made drones and missiles
Ukraine has received a new tranche of approximately €1.2 billion from the European Union under the Ukraine Support Loan, announced on 7 October by Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky. The European Commission specifies the amount as €1.24 billion. The funds are earmarked for Ukrainian-made drones, drone ammunition, drone interceptors and missiles, bringing total defense financing under the program to nearly €13 billion.
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EU and Ukraine say 2026 budget and defence needs can be covered; Commission denies any financing gap
On 1 October 2026 the European Commission and Ukraine issued a joint statement saying they had identified the means to cover Ukraine's 2026 budget and defence needs and outlining the steps needed for timely disbursement. The next day Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho said the EU and Ukraine had jointly concluded there is no external financing gap for 2026, and the Commission disbursed a €2.9 billion tranche under the Ukraine Facility. The Financial Times reported that EU Commissioners formally declined Ukraine's request to front-load part of the 2027 loan, linking further payments to reforms.
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Von der Leyen announces EU–Ukraine joint missile defense, Patriot procurement and SAFE-funded program in State of the Union
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her 16 September State of the Union address to announce that the EU will jointly develop an affordable modular missile defense system with Ukraine based on the Freyja project, launch a new program for joint projects with Ukrainian defense companies using remaining SAFE funds, and urgently deliver American Patriot interceptor missiles newly procured for Ukraine. She framed the package as the EU's strongest-ever support for Ukraine ahead of what she described as the harshest winter of the war.
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EU approves €6.1 billion credit for Ukraine to buy drones and Patriot missiles
The European Commission has formally approved a €6.1 billion credit tranche for Ukraine, earmarked for drones and missiles for Patriot air defense systems, including PAC-3 interceptors. The decision required five separate EU member-state derogations from standard procurement rules to allow EU funds to be used for arms purchases from third countries, including the United States, and for Ukrainian-made drones exceeding price thresholds.
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First EU–Ukraine Drone Alliance meeting set for 11 September in Brussels
The first meeting of the EU–Ukraine Drone Alliance is scheduled for 11 September in Brussels, bringing together EU and Ukrainian drone manufacturers with European Commission officials. European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius will attend, with 19 EU-side and 9 Ukrainian-side companies participating. The meeting will focus on assessing the current state of affairs, defining a timeline for action, and discussing initial measures aimed at accelerating the deployment of unmanned technologies and counter-drone systems across the EU.