The European Commission proposes to hold a Defence Industry Forum with Ukraine in 2024.

A corresponding proposal is spelled out in the European Defence Industrial Strategy, which, together with another document, the European Defence Investment Programme, was approved at a meeting of the Board of the European Commission on Tuesday in Brussels, a senior European official told reporters.

The official said in this strategy, the European Commission is also studying in detail how to strengthen cooperation with Ukraine, including in the defence industry. According to him, one of the proposals that they have developed is to hold the Defence Industry Forum with Ukraine later this year.

The senior official said the strategies are primarily concerned with strengthening the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base. The document has a section dedicated to partnership; and there is no other partner except Ukraine, which receives so much space and attention in this strategy, he said. The official also noted a legal point where there is a difference between Ukraine or a member state, or even between Ukraine and Norway, which is an associate member state, but in his opinion, that within the existing legal restrictions the Commission has gone as far as legally possible, integrating Ukraine into these programs.

According to a high-ranking official, according to the approved documents, Ukraine has the right to participate in the program as a quasi-member state (almost a member of the EU). He said Ukraine is indeed, de facto, a quasi-member state of the EU and can actually participate in quite a few activities that are provided by the new instruments. According to the official, this is the first element, Ukraine can also receive some funding. There are many, many measures that are aimed at ensuring that Ukraine also participates in innovation: for example, the announcement of the opening of an innovative office in Kyiv is a sign of ambition, to unite with Ukrainians to do much more, the journalists' interlocutor said.