Ukraine will be able to buy Chinese components for unmanned aerial vehicles using money from a 90-billion-euro European Union loan, after receiving special permission from Brussels, the Financial Times reported.
The first tranche of the loan amounted to six billion euros. Ukraine can spend part of these funds on purchasing Chinese drone components, according to the FT.
Under the terms of the EU loan, defense products must be purchased in EU countries, in Ukraine, or from approved partners such as Canada. However, there is an exception: Ukraine can apply to Brussels for permission to buy from other countries if the necessary goods cannot be quickly obtained from those states. Purchases must also not contradict EU security and defense interests. The FT noted that this decision highlights ongoing problems in the European Union's defense industry.
The Financial Times also drew attention to China's role in supplying both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war. The publication noted that Chinese manufacturers do not hesitate to sell batches of components to whichever side pays more. Earlier, in May 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that China had stopped selling drones to Ukraine and European countries but continued supplies to Russia. Bloomberg also reported that Beijing reduced shipments of some drone components to Western buyers while increasing supplies to Russia.