European Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius on Monday urged greater integration between the European and Ukrainian defense industries.
“To stop Putin, we need to produce more, we need to innovate more, and we need to do that together in the European Union and with Ukraine,” Kubilius told officials and industry representatives in Brussels.
Speaking at a defense industry forum, Kubilius announced that an EU-Ukraine task force will convene for the first time on Monday “to assist integration of our defense industries, to facilitate development of joint projects or joint procurement processes.”
The commissioner, a former Lithuanian prime minister, emphasized that Europe can learn from Ukraine’s innovative industry, highlighting advancements in drones and artificial intelligence.
“In the future, when Europe will need to take the whole responsibility for the defence of [the] European continent, Ukraine will be the most important part of the new European security architecture,” he said.