The leaders of the European Union insist on the speedy development of an investment program to build up production in the defense industry of the Bloc in the light of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the draft of the final document of the summit, which will be held on December 15-16, Reuters.
“The European Council calls on the European Commission to quickly submit an offer under the European defense investment program to strengthen the potential and stability of European defense technologies and the industrial sector, including small and medium -sized enterprises,” the project said.
EU leaders will also insist that the European Commission and the European Defense Agency intensify the efforts to identify military gaps and coordinate joint defense procurement, in particular, to replenish their equipment reserves that were exhausted to support Ukraine.
The EU has long been calling for member states to combine efforts in the procurement of weapons, and not increase prices, competing with each other or concluding individual transactions with suppliers outside the bloc.