The EU Council approved five main EU security and defense priorities in the context of a combination of challenges, such as Russia’s war against Ukraine and increasing tensions in the Middle East and other regions.
The priority is to support Ukraine and continue providing Ukraine with all necessary political, financial, military, and other support for as long as needed. The EU will use all the tools, particularly the Fund for Aid to Ukraine of the European Peace Fund (EPF), as well as training and consulting through the EU Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine.
The bloc also emphasized the EU’s future signing of security commitments to Ukraine and the supply of ammunition, missiles, anti-aircraft defense, UAVs, and artillery.
Among other priorities are ensuring the availability of defense products and strengthening the EU’s defense technological and industrial base, fully implementing the potential for rapid deployment of the bloc’s collective forces by 2025, and strengthening the response to hybrid threats.