European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius proposed the creation of a European Defence Union (EDU) built around a new intergovernmental treaty, with Ukraine as a founding member, during a speech at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies on 9 June 2026. Kubilius argued that the current fragmented European defence landscape — 27 national policies, budgets, armies and vetoes — is unfit to meet the challenges posed by Russian aggression, the war in Ukraine, and the anticipated withdrawal of US strategic resources from Europe. He called for a new institutional framework that would integrate Ukraine's battle-tested army and innovative defence industry into a collective European defence structure, separate from but closely coordinated with NATO.
Kubilius outlined a roadmap beginning with an informal European Security Council (potentially building on the existing E5/E5+ format), followed by the negotiation of an intergovernmental treaty to establish the EDU. He suggested a threshold of at least 15 EU member states to launch the union, with other countries — including the United Kingdom, Norway, Turkey, and possibly Canada — invited to join. Ukrainian membership in the EDU would serve as a stepping stone toward full EU membership, which Kubilius described as a vital European interest rather than a gift. The Commissioner stressed that the EDU should be based on Article 42(7) of the Treaty on European Union, which enshrines mutual assistance among member states, echoing recent statements by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Kubilius identified several concrete challenges that the EDU would address: Russia's continued outproduction of the EU in defence materiel, the estimated €500 billion cost of replacing US strategic enablers in Europe (as calculated by German experts), and the absence of a single European defence market. He noted that EU member states are expected to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035, amounting to roughly €7 trillion, and argued that a collective leadership body — a formal European Security Council within the EDU — could coordinate the pooling of national funds for pan-European defence projects of common interest (EDPCIs) and the creation of a European Rapid Reaction Force to replace the roughly 100,000 US troops currently stationed in Europe.
The speech did not provide detailed legal or budgetary proposals for the intergovernmental treaty, nor did it specify timelines for the roadmap. Kubilius acknowledged that the initiative faces political and psychological hurdles, as defence remains a national prerogative under the EU treaties. He called for a shift in European mindset from assisting Ukraine to ensuring Ukraine prevails, arguing that only a just peace — achieved through Ukrainian military success — can push Russia toward a sustainable settlement. The proposal represents a significant push toward deeper defence integration, with Ukraine positioned as a strategic pillar rather than a beneficiary. Key stakeholders would include EU member states (some of which may resist ceding sovereignty), the European defence industry (which would benefit from scale and integration), Ukraine (which would gain institutional security guarantees), and NATO (which would need to manage the relationship with a parallel European structure). The plan could accelerate EU defence consolidation but risks creating a two-speed Europe and straining relations with non-participating member states.
← Atlas › News › Defence