Mykhailo SamusEurope has entered an era of permanent strategic turbulence. The overarching objective of governments is no longer the preservation of peace but the urgent strengthening of defence capabilities amid protracted confrontation. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked a definitive break from the previous European security paradigm. The geopolitical map of the continent is being redrawn in real time – and at the heart of this transformation stands Ukraine: not merely a buffer, but a frontline actor shaping the future of warfare, reimagining the logic of defence-industrial cooperation, and pioneering a new model of strategic partnership.
There is growing recognition across the EU that the Russian threat is not a passing episode, but a structural and long-term challenge. As a result, the strategic discourse within the Union is undergoing a profound recalibration. Notably, previously unthinkable ideas — such as Austria reconsidering its neutrality and contemplating NATO accession — are now entering the mainstream. Europe is waking up to the necessity of radically enhancing its defence capabilities. And central to this effort must be the full-scale integration of Ukraine’s defence-industrial complex into the broader European defence ecosystem.
The Integration Gap: Between Rhetoric and Reality
Despite high-level political declarations about a “historic partnership,” the practical mechanisms of integration remain underdeveloped. Ukraine’s defence-tech innovators – particularly in drone warfare, electronic warfare, ISR, and strike systems – continue to operate outside the core architecture of EU defence programmes. Access to key instruments such as the European Defence Fund (EDF), the ReArm Europe initiative, and other EU-led defence-industrial schemes remains limited, fragmented, and often symbolic. The reasons are manifold: from legal ambiguity to bureaucratic inertia entrenched within EU institutions.
SAFE as a Game-Changer — With Strings Attached
The May 2025 approval of the EU’s new Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative represents a major shift. For the first time, the EU has opened a flagship defence financing programme — potentially mobilizing up to €150 billion — to a third country: Ukraine. SAFE is designed to fund joint procurement, production scaling, and critical technology investment. However, the programme stipulates that at least 65% of the components in funded products must originate in the EU or from accredited partner countries. This poses both a challenge and an opportunity: Ukrainian firms must either localize portions of production within the EU or establish agile cooperative models with European partners.
BraveTech EU: From Concept to Strategic Platform
Amid this landscape, joint initiatives like BraveTech EU are emerging as potential accelerators of integration. Building on the success of Ukraine’s domestic Brave1 cluster – which has disbursed over ₴2.2 billion in grants and become Ukraine’s leading defence-tech investor – BraveTech EU aims to scale battlefield-driven innovation across the continent. Co-launched with an initial €50 million investment from both Ukraine and the EU, the platform envisions a shared European defence startup market where innovation is rapidly adapted to operational needs.
This is not a laboratory for speculative projects, but a launchpad for immediate solutions: autonomous combat systems, countermeasures against precision-guided glide bombs (KABs), and fibre-optic-controlled drones. These are not future visions; they are mission-critical technologies for today’s war. BraveTech EU, if structured correctly, could become Europe’s own DARPA – but more practical, battle-tested, and inclusive.
The key difference lies in partnership parity. Ukrainian companies must not be relegated to subcontractor roles; they must be co-architects. Ukraine’s frontline is the most advanced testing ground for 21st-century military technology — from FPV drone swarms and tactical AI to hybrid fire control and cyber-electronic strike systems. Now is the time to encode genuine integration — through governance, budget access, and project ownership – before BraveTech becomes just another visionary acronym.
Institutional Shift in Ukraine: MoD as Strategic Integrator
Ukraine itself is undergoing a structural pivot. The recent dissolution of the Ministry for Strategic Industries and the transfer of its functions to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signals a centralization of authority. The MoD is now positioned not only as an arms procurement authority, but as the coordinator of Ukraine’s entire defence-industrial ecosystem. The emerging concept is to transform the MoD into a strategic hub for defence technology innovation, R&D, and production scaling.
On paper, this is a rational step. Only the MoD can align battlefield requirements with industrial capacity and investment strategies. But in practice, this transformation demands far more than a functional reshuffle. The MoD lacks institutional experience in working with private-sector innovators, managing risk-intensive R&D, or leading international industrial partnerships. A new governance model must be built — one that is anti-corruption-proof, business-friendly, and procedurally compatible with EU standards.
The risks are real. Procurement scandals, unchecked lobbying, and institutional dysfunction undermine both domestic credibility and international trust. Worse, they erode the battlefield achievements of Ukrainian soldiers and engineers. The success of Ukraine’s industrial transformation now hinges not just on strategic vision, but on systemic integrity.
Strategic Alignment: EU Needs Ukraine as Much as Ukraine Needs the EU
There is growing recognition among European leadership that Ukraine’s integration is not charity — it is strategic necessity. EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, has repeatedly emphasized that including Ukraine in EU defence policy is about Europe’s survival, not solidarity. In a recent interview, he stated bluntly: “Only powerful defence capabilities will deter Putin’s plans. And those capabilities must be built with Ukraine.” Kubilius has spearheaded both the SAFE initiative and a proposal for a European defence credit facility to launch what he calls a “European defence-industrial renaissance.”
In short, the window is open — but time is not on Europe’s side. The sooner Ukrainian companies are embedded into the financial and coordination mechanisms of the EU, the stronger the continent’s strategic backbone will become.
What Must Be Done: Three Core Priorities
1. Finalize the EU’s Defence Policy Framework
Europe must move beyond reactive crisis management and fragmented initiatives. A comprehensive strategy is needed to develop common defence capabilities and a unified industrial base. This requires clear procurement rules, shared governance, and predictable funding. Ukraine should be embedded into this framework not as a third party, but as a core contributor.
2. Implement a Functional MoD-Led Industrial Model in Ukraine
The Ukrainian government must establish a new model for managing its defence-industrial complex. This includes empowering the MoD to stimulate innovation, support private sector collaboration, and ensure R&D investment is strategically aligned. Crucially, a robust anti-corruption framework is essential to make integration viable.
3. Include Ukrainian Experts in EU Defence Structures
Ukraine must be granted seats at the table – not as observers, but as contributors — within the European Defence Agency, EDF, SAFE, Readiness 2030, and related platforms. Waiting for full EU membership before allowing Ukrainian participation would be a strategic blunder. Ukraine’s operational experience and technological innovation must inform continental defence planning now.
Ukraine as Europe’s Forward Defence Line
Ukraine today is not merely a recipient of aid or a theatre of war. It is a laboratory for the warfare of tomorrow. If Europe is serious about strategic autonomy, it must go beyond investing in Ukrainian technologies – it must invest in Ukrainians as equal partners.
The new line of defence for Europe runs through Kyiv, Dnipro, and Kharkiv. If it holds, it will not only defeat the aggressor but lay the foundation for a new European security architecture. But this will only be possible if Ukraine is treated not as a subcontractor, but as a full-fledged co-creator of Europe’s defence future.