Ukraine and EU Launch Joint Task Force to Integrate Defense Industries

Ukraine and the European Union have established a joint task force aimed at deepening defense cooperation and integrating their defense industries.

This was reported by European Pravda.

The TaskForce creation was announced at the opening of the second Ukraine-EU Defence Industry Forum in Brussels.
According to European Pravda, the initiative will see the creation of an interdepartmental working group designed to accelerate collaboration between Ukraine’s defense-industrial base and its European counterparts.

Charles Fries, Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service for Peace, Security and Defence, said the TaskForce would focus on “delivering concrete solutions” to promote cooperation and mutual integration in defense manufacturing and innovation.

Ukraine’s Minister for Strategic Industries, Herman Smetanin, confirmed that the group held its first meeting on May 12.
According to Ukrainian officials, the Task Force’s primary mandate is to support the integration of Ukraine’s defense sector into the broader European defense ecosystem.

A key objective is to facilitate Ukraine’s participation in programs traditionally reserved for EU member states, including the upcoming European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) and the Security Assistance for Europe (SAFE) instrument, both part of the EU’s ReArm Europe plan.

Integration of the Ukrainian defense industry into EU initiatives

On March 20, Militarnyi reported that the SAFE initiative would allow Ukrainian defense firms to take part on equal footing with EU-based manufacturers.

In late April, the European Commission announced €910 million in new investments through the European Defence Fund (EDF), marking the first time Ukrainian companies were included in the funding framework.

The investment is targeted at closing critical capability gaps — particularly in military mobility and counter-drone technology — by boosting innovation and collaboration between European research institutions and defense manufacturers.

EU and Ukrainian officials say the initiative is a step toward to fully integrate Ukraine into the European defense-industrial base and strengthen long-term bilateral ties.