On 6 May, the EU-Ukraine Defence Industry Forum took place in Brussels. The event, organised for the first time by the European Union (EU), was opened by High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and European Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton, together with Minister for Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba and Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleksandr Kamyshyn. The event was held with the support of Belgium presiding over the EU Council and the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD).

The forum was dedicated to strengthening defence and industrial cooperation between the EU and Ukraine with a view to providing sustainable military support to Ukraine, including in the long term, and better meeting Ukrainian defence and industrial needs. The event brought together more than 400 representatives of governments, defence companies from the EU and Ukraine, industry associations, key partner countries and organisations, as well as EU institutions. The Forum provided a platform for discussing not only intergovernmental agreements, but also specific ways of cooperation between business representatives.

"Today's Forum is a key step towards strengthening cooperation between the defence industries of Ukraine and the EU. This is important not only now, but also for our future needs. I strongly believe that the forum will bring our defence industries closer together, allow us to learn from each other and help Ukraine defend itself against russian aggression. This could be a game changer in the long run," said Josep Borrell.

"Our commitment to Ukraine and our shared ambition to mobilise European industry to provide the necessary assistance is stronger than ever. Europe's defence industry needs to shift to a war economy model. The goal is to produce faster, larger and jointly to continue to support Ukraine now and in the long term," said Thierry Breton.

"Ukraine is immensely grateful for all the assistance that the EU and its member states have provided and continue to provide. Over the past year, we have also significantly increased our domestic production capabilities - and we are committed to building them in cooperation with our allies. We regard our defence industry as part of the EU's defence industrial base, contributing to the collective security of EU member states," said Oleksandr Kamyshyn.

The EU-Ukraine Defence Industry Forum is the first concrete step in the implementation of the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) announced in March 2024. The forum paves the way for the identification of concrete initiatives, agreements and flagship projects for cooperation between the defence industries of Ukraine and the EU - for example, through the establishment of joint ventures. This will facilitate closer cooperation between defence companies and the gradual integration of the Ukrainian defence industry into the European defence technology and industrial base, including in view of Ukraine's accession to the EU.

As russia continues to wage its brutal war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU remains steadfast in its resolve and sustained commitment to support Ukraine with all possible means to ensure its victory - in the short and long term. The Forum reaffirms this commitment.

The EU will continue to encourage Member States to provide greater and faster military assistance to Ukraine and support through the European Peace Fund. The EU has offered to support joint procurement by the European defence industry (and Norway) and encourages procurement through joint ventures between the European and Ukrainian defence industries. The EU is also working with the Ukrainian authorities to establish an EU Innovation Office in Kyiv by the end of the year.

The EU-Ukraine Defence Industry Forum is the third multilateral event in the DFNC series of international defence industry events (https://dfnc.gov.ua/) launched by the Ukrainian Government in Kyiv in September 2023, and the first to be organised by the EU.