Ukraine’s US missile purchases require EU approval, commission says

Ukraine’s plans to use part of the first €5.9 billion tranche of European military funding to purchase US Patriot air defence missiles would require prior approval from the European Commission, spokesperson Balázs Ujvári has stated.

During a briefing in Brussels, he said the first tranche of €5.9 billion is intended for the procurement of drones, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

“If Ukraine expresses interest in purchasing weapons beyond drones, it must inform the European Commission, and we will assess it,” Ujvári noted.

One of the conditions for the allocation of the funds is that they must be used to purchase weapons from EU defence industry manufacturers.

Only if European alternatives are unavailable can Ukraine receive permission to procure military equipment from the United States or other countries.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov