Ursula von der Leyen's visit to Kyiv today solidified a new EU-Ukraine defence industrial partnership, channeling billions into drone and missile technology. This commitment to military expansion, funded by a €90 billion support loan and €10 billion from the SAFE defence programme, deepens Europe's reliance on a military-industrial complex that profits from conflict and exclusion. The deal, the first of its kind, aims to merge the bloc's industrial scale with Kyiv's cutting-edge expertise into joint ventures, enabling the storage of drones on EU soil before their deployment.
Von der Leyen arrived in Kyiv for her second trip this year, declaring, "The tide is turning." Standing alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, she asserted, "Russia may have darkened your skies with smoke. But no one is fooled. No cloud of smoke can hide the reality on the battlefield," adding, "Russia's momentum is weak. Ukraine, on the other hand, continues to resist." This rhetoric frames a continent increasingly defined by military solutions.
The battlefield has shifted to the skies, with Ukraine launching long-range drone strikes against Russia's oil refineries, some thousands of kilometres from the contact line. This strategy has strained Moscow's war chest and forced the energy-rich country to restrict fuel exports. Meanwhile, Russia exploits Ukraine's severe shortage of US-made Patriot interceptors, pummeling cities at a relentless pace. Residential blocks, supermarkets, warehouses, railway stations, schools, and museums have all been hit in recent weeks, killing hundreds of civilians. Von der Leyen herself was rushed to an underground shelter after an air raid alert, an intervention Euronews witnessed.
Militarizing the Continent
The defence industrial partnership intends to expand to missile technology, further entrenching the corporate capture of European security policy. This massive investment in military hardware, drawn from a €90 billion support loan and the roughly €10 billion still available under the SAFE defence programme, highlights the EU's prioritization of military solutions. These funds fuel an industry that often supplies the same technologies for border surveillance and enforcement, contributing to the architecture of Fortress Europe.
The EU's Selective Engagement
Beyond military aid, the visit reflected a renewed synchrony on Ukraine's path to EU membership. Just one day ago, Ukraine opened a new cluster of negotiations, its second in one month. This breakthrough, made possible after the Hungarian elections three months ago, has laid a reasonable path to unblocking the remaining four clusters after the summer break. This stands in stark contrast to the protracted and often impossible journeys faced by countless others seeking entry or asylum within the EU.
Previously, in late February, the Commission president had little to show for, with the accession process under the tight grip of Hungary's veto. Hope was virtually lost for as long as Viktor Orbán remained in office. Zelenskyy had then asked for full membership by 2027, a timeline von der Leyen had deemed impossible. Now, Zelenskyy has stopped talking about 2027 altogether, stating, "Our relationship with Europe is now the strongest, most meaningful and most personal than at any other point in our history." Von der Leyen and her team privately welcomed what they saw as Zelenskyy's improved understanding of enlargement as a step-by-step trajectory. She told him, "You are preparing for your future as a member state of our Union. But the truth is, your actions are already shaping the future of our entire continent," a statement that reveals the EU's selective vision for who gets to shape Europe's future.
Amidst these high-level discussions, murmurs of turmoil triggered by Volodymyr Zelenskyy's sudden government reshuffling grew louder. The following day, Ukrainians took to the streets to protest the dismissal of Mykhailo Fedorov, the highly popular defence minister credited with taking drone warfare to the next frontier. This internal dissent highlights the complex political landscape even within states deemed crucial to the EU's security agenda.