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EU approves major defense projects plan, with Ukraine featuring prominently
kyivindependent.com • • world
Key Points:
- The Council of the EU approved five bloc-wide defense projects on Sept. 28 to enhance Europe's security, with Ukraine participating in four of them, excluding the space project.
- These projects target key defense areas including air defense, maritime security, space, drone and counter-drone capabilities, and security along the EU's eastern flank.
- The drone-focused project, DECODER, involves all EU countries except Malta and is budgeted between €3.5 billion and €5.5 billion to develop drone technology hubs and improve interoperability.
- The air and missile defense initiative (EU-FIAMD), costing up to €80 billion by 2040, is critical for Ukraine to strengthen its anti-ballistic missile capabilities amid ongoing threats from Russia.
- The most expensive project, Eastern Flank Watch, with a budget of €60-100 billion by 2036, focuses geographically on the EU's eastern border to counter concrete security threats and was announced following a Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace.
