European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius expressed renewed confidence in EU member states’ willingness to use the new €150 billion ($176 bn) SAFE loan instrument for investments in Ukraine’s defence industry, Radio Svoboda reported on 23 August.

“Quite soon we will announce how many EU member countries are requesting these loans from the €150 billion ($176 bn) fund. We see quite significant interest. And later, possibly in November, we will announce how much of these loans will be used for Ukraine,” Kubilius told journalists in Brussels.

The commissioner said that some countries have already indicated they will use the loans for Ukraine, though “we don’t have clear figures yet.”

Kubilius’s optimism marks a shift from his earlier concerns expressed in spring, when he called on countries to invest in Ukraine’s defence sector but worried about the lack of stated intentions to take loans specifically for Ukrainian procurement.

“Now I am much more optimistic,” the European Commissioner told Radio Svoboda’s correspondent.

When asked about EU countries’ readiness to finance $90 billion in American weapons purchases – as President Zelenskyy claimed after Washington negotiations – Kubilius declined to comment directly. However, he called those talks important and noted that “Putin is nervous, he is trying to discredit that meeting.”

“I see much stronger and more united actions from the EU together with the Americans,” the official said.

Kubilius emphasized that European defence industry shows greater interest in Ukrainian defence manufacturing than vice versa.

“Ukrainian defence industry is remarkable for its achievements. And I think many European countries, business industries have considerable interest in strengthening their integration,” he said.

The commissioner cited early cooperation initiatives including BraveTech EU and EDIP (European Defence Industry Programme) – EU programs proposed by the European Commission for financial support, strengthening and stimulating cooperation in the defence industry between the European Union and Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy identified domestic weapons production as one of the security guarantee components for Ukraine.