For the First Time, the European Commission Authorized the Use of EU Aid to Finance the Salaries of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

For the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion, the European Commission has authorized the use of EU aid to finance Ukraine’s defense spending. Most of the funds have already been transferred to the state.

Roksolana Pidlasa, MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Budget, reported this.

She noted that only after receiving this permission could the government submit to the Verkhovna Rada draft law No. 14103 on amendments to the state budget for 2025.

The document provides for an increase in defense spending by UAH 325 billion.

According to the MP, the additional funding is almost entirely provided by the European Union.

“The government appealed to the European Commission, and for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we received permission to use EU macro-financial assistance for the needs of the military and defense,” Pidlasa stated.

This regards €6 billion. Of this amount, €4 billion has already been credited to the National Bank account, and the remaining €2 billion is expected by the end of the year.

These funds will be used to pay the military and to purchase drones, ammunition, and weapons.

Judicial and Legal Newspaper recalls that salaries and pensions for many categories of officials used to be financed by international aid. However, partners, including the EU, did not allow these resources to be used to pay the military.

“Amendments to the 2025 budget provide for an increase in defense spending by UAH 325 billion. The largest amount – UAH 211 billion – will be allocated for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Separately, UAH 99 billion will be allocated to produce and purchase weapons for the Armed Forces. The rest of the funds will be allocated to other law enforcement agencies – the National Guard, the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service, and the Foreign Intelligence Service,” the MP noted.

The draft law on increasing defense spending is to be adopted by the Parliament as a whole by November 1.

Recently, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted amendments to the State Budget for 2025, which provide for an increase in the Ministry of Defense’s expenditures by UAH 311 billion.