EU to open Defence Innovation Office in Kyiv

Thierry Breton, European Commissioner for the Internal Market, says the European Union has started preparations to open a Defence Innovation Office in Kyiv.

Thierry Breton said  during the EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum that the EU recently voted in favour of a new defence industry strategy, which is "meant not only to support the European defence industry, but also to enhance ties between the European and the Ukrainian defence industries".

Breton added that the new EU strategy sets out a clear set of priorities for developing EU-Ukraine cooperation.

"First, this is why we will open the Defence Innovation Office in Kyiv: to create a bridge between EU innovative start-ups and Ukrainian companies and its armed forces, so that European start-ups can help Ukrainian soldiers in the field. I’m pleased that particular work to deliver on that task has already started," Breton said.

Oleksandr Kamyshin, Ukraine’s Minister of Strategic Industries, had said ahead of the EU-Ukraine forum that work is currently underway to determine the goals and structure of the Defence Innovation Office.

In his opening remarks at the EU-Ukraine Defence Industries Forum, EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell expressed his belief that EU countries could buy weapons for Ukraine from Ukrainian defence companies and quickly transfer them to Kyiv for military support.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced in February 2024 that a Defence Innovation Office is to open in Kyiv.