Croatia to Join SAFE Program to Support Ukraine’s Defense

Croatia intends to use European Union defense loans to help strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities.

According to Euractiv, the country will join the SAFE (Security Assistance for Europe) initiative, a large-scale program that provides up to €150 billion for investments in the defense industries of EU member states.

Ukraine is officially recognized as a partner of the SAFE program.

This opens up the opportunity for Ukrainian defense industry producers to fully participate in joint European procurement, integrate into supply chains, and implement joint high-tech projects.

Procurement can be carried out directly at domestic defense companies, which will allow attracting investments, modernizing production facilities, and expanding the export potential of Ukrainian defense products.

In addition to Croatia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have expressed interest in using the SAFE mechanism to support Ukraine. In particular, Bulgaria is already considering joint purchases with Kyiv, including 155 mm ammunition.

Earlier, Croatia has already handed over a batch of M-84 tanks and M-80 infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine.