European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Brussels that the bloc had received a new request from Ukraine for several billion euros in financing, with the funds earmarked for air-defense upgrades including the purchase of Patriot PAC-3 systems. She spoke before a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
The request is now under review by EU member states, with the process moving "in the right direction," von der Leyen said. Her remarks came as EU defense and foreign ministers held informal talks in Ireland, where Ukraine's shortage of air-defense assets was the central topic.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said member states had made statements at the meeting about providing air-defense funding, but declined to disclose details, saying countries would announce specifics publicly. A day earlier, on September 1, Kallas called for checks on Patriot interceptor missile stockpiles but secured no concrete new commitments.
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said before the meeting that some EU countries still held air-defense reserves that could be transferred to Ukraine amid Russian ballistic missile and drone attacks.
Separately, Ukraine has asked the United States for licenses to produce Patriot missiles domestically. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that talks were underway, noting that even after licensing, production deployment could take several years and would not address Kyiv's immediate needs. Rubio also said air-defense interceptors were in demand not only in Ukraine but also in Middle Eastern countries, and that the US must maintain sufficient domestic stockpiles.
Von der Leyen also said the EU and Ukraine were working on a European project for its own missile-defense system. Europe needs a faster shared threat-warning system and the ability to intercept threats more quickly, she said. "We have entered a new era of European security," the Commission president said.
The EU also plans to intensify pressure on Russia's military-industrial complex. Brussels is working on a sanctions list that would include up to 1,600 individuals and entities linked to the Russian defense sector. Kallas said the goal of the restrictions was to hit Russia's ability to produce missiles.