European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at a panel discussion at the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum in Ankara on 7 July 2026, detailed the European Union's massive defence investment push and outlined avenues for cooperation with non-EU allies, including Türkiye and Ukraine. Von der Leyen highlighted the ReArm Europe programme, which mobilises up to €800 billion until 2030, including the SAFE programme worth €150 billion for joint procurement. She noted that 10 agreements worth €100 billion have already been signed under SAFE, which is open to partners: up to 35% of cost components can come from outside the EU, and countries with a security and defence agreement with the EU can exceed that threshold, as Canada has done.
Addressing Türkiye's role, von der Leyen acknowledged it as one of NATO's largest armed forces and stressed that the 35% flexibility under SAFE offers significant opportunities for cooperation. She also emphasised alignment with NATO Defence Planning Process targets to fill capability gaps cost-efficiently. On Ukraine, von der Leyen announced that the EU has opened its first Innovation Office in Kyiv to tap into Ukraine's battlefield-tested innovation, is encouraging joint ventures between EU and Ukrainian companies, and is working on a longer-term partnership to boost cutting-edge defence production. She called for a whole-of-society approach to resilience, citing hybrid threats such as foreign information manipulation, and noted that Eurobarometer surveys show European citizens rank security and resilience among their top concerns.