Almost all military assistance to Ukraine currently comes from the EU and other European countries – this is about 99% of the total volume, German Ambassador to Ukraine Heiko Thoms has said.
"We either provide Ukraine with financial assistance so that your Armed Forces can become stronger, or we supply European defense equipment. And in those areas where we do not have the necessary capabilities, we buy them for you," Thoms noted during a discussion of the new format of the Kyiv Security Forum (KSF) – "Kyiv Security Forum: Deep Strike."
He emphasized that European countries are significantly increasing their own defense efforts. In particular, Germany alone is tripling its defense budget in the period from 2022 to 2030.
"The European Union can indeed sometimes seem a bit slow, but what we have already achieved to date is truly impressive. For 2026-2027 alone, we have approved military aid for Ukraine worth EUR 60 billion. We have defense industry programs, the European Defense Fund, the SAFE defense credit program, and the European Peace Facility – a powerful tool for strengthening European defense and providing assistance to others," the ambassador added.
Separately, the diplomat commented on Russia’s strike on the Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
"Just a few days before the attack, I visited the Lavra during a tour and was exactly in the place that was later hit. For me, it is absolutely obvious that this was a targeted strike. This was a targeted attack on Ukrainian identity, sovereignty, and independence," Thoms said.
He emphasized that Ukraine today has a technological advantage on the battlefield. "Ukraine is very successfully holding the front line, while at the same time achieving significant success in what we call strikes on the enemy’s rear facilities. Russian logistics routes are coming under increasingly effective strikes," the ambassador said.
The discussion in the new format took place with the participation of Thoms, Ambassador of France to Ukraine Gaël Veyssière, Chairman of the KSF, former Prime Minister of Ukraine (2014-2016) Arseniy Yatsenyuk, and KSF Security Council member, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (2014) Danylo Lubkivsky.
