Europe is changing the vector of its military support to Ukraine: Investments will replace the supply of weapons.

The EU’s recent decision to allocate $440M to Ukraine to support its defense industry indicates a sharp turnaround in the bloc’s approach to Russia’s war.

One of the EU diplomats noted: “Europe realizes that it cannot produce the weapons that Ukraine needs, and the easiest way to fill the deficit is for the Ukrainians to do it themselves.”

The German Marshall Fund believes investment in the Ukrainian military industry “ensures greater flexibility” and “provides greater potential in the short term.” However, it will not replace the supply of Western-made weapons. In a broader sense, it is about Ukraine’s gradual integration into the Western defense industry’s supply chains.

As previously discussed, the windfall profit from frozen Russian assets will be used to develop Ukraine’s defense industry on top of the $190M provided by the Danish government. The funds will go toward production of missiles, drones, and other long-range weapons.

France, Britain, Italy, and Germany have also announced their increased investment in the Ukrainian defense industry, as well as Estonia, which is interested in purchasing Ukrainian-made long-range missiles.