The European Union is set to provide Ukraine with €6.1 billion in additional assistance to help the war-weary country purchase military equipment, notably the Patriot interceptors badly needed to shoot down Russia's devastating ballistic missiles.
The funding, announcedon Friday, will come from the bloc's €90 billion support loan, which reserves €28.3 billion for military aid and €16.7 billion for budget aid this year.
The loan's "Made In Europe" requirement will be lifted to procure Patriots, which are made in the United States, and drones, which depend on Chinese components.
The newly allocated €6.1 billion represents the final allocation under the €28.3 billion envelope. Payments are being made in gradual instalments after Brussels checks and verifies the contracts that Kyiv signs with private companies.
So far, €8.35 billion in defence funding has been wired.
