European countries are considering increasing financial support for the Ukrainian defense industry instead of direct arms supplies, reports The Washington Post. According to sources, more and more states are leaning towards this model as their weapon stocks have significantly decreased over the years of aiding Kyiv.
This is reported by Київ24
It is noted that due to the depletion of military stocks made during Joe Biden’s presidency in the U.S., doubts arise regarding Europe’s ability to compensate for a potential halt in American support, especially in critical areas such as air defense.
Advantages of Support Through Funding and Production Development
A source from the publication describes this approach as mutually beneficial: for Europe, it is cheaper, while Ukraine will have the opportunity to develop its own arms production. Additionally, Ukraine could serve as a testing ground for new types of weapons, such as drones, in which NATO countries have less experience.
As an example of utilizing this strategy, the publication mentions the production of Ukrainian Bohdan howitzers, which are the first self-propelled artillery systems of NATO caliber. During the war, their production has increased more than threefold—from six units per month in 2023 to over 20 in 2025.
Investments in Ukraine’s Defense Industry
On April 9, the European Union announced an additional tranche of one billion euros for Ukraine to support artillery production. These funds will come from profits generated by frozen Russian assets. This represents the largest investment by Europe in the Ukrainian defense industry and is part of a plan to allocate over 20 billion euros over the year for the development of weapons production in Ukraine, instead of direct arms supplies.