European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius on 30 June 2026 proposed the creation of a European Defence Union (EDU) open to EU member states, the United Kingdom and Ukraine, to be established through a new intergovernmental treaty and led by a European Security Council. Delivering the closing keynote at a conference on the future of UK-EU relations, Kubilius argued that Europe must urgently take greater responsibility for its own defence as the United States calls on Europeans to lead, and warned that Russia remains willing and able to test NATO's Article 5. The speech contained concrete proposals for institutional structures — an informal European Security Council, a treaty-based Defence Union, and a formal Security Council — but did not set numerical targets, deadlines or budget figures for the new body.
Kubilius framed the proposal against the backdrop of the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum and drew a historical parallel to the 1940 Franco-British union proposal, urging Europe not to wait for disaster to strike. He cited recent EU defence achievements as a foundation: the creation of 150 billion euro in SAFE loans, 60 billion euro in loans for Ukraine's defence, and member state pledges of 6.8 trillion euro for defence by 2035. The Commissioner also noted the EU-UK Security and Defence Partnership signed in 2024, and pointed to the UK's Strategic Defence Review and its 20:40:40 warfare doctrine as an example for the EU to follow. Kubilius stressed that the UK is a cornerstone of NATO and that the European continent cannot be defended without it, while also arguing that Ukraine's battle-tested military should be integrated into European defence architecture.
The speech did not address how the proposed European Defence Union would relate to existing NATO structures or the EU's own defence initiatives, nor did it specify which countries would be the 'pioneering' members. Kubilius acknowledged that the UK is not an EU member and that Ukraine's EU membership will take time, but argued that both could join forces with EU member states in the new union. The proposal shifts the status quo towards a more assertive and integrative approach to European defence, explicitly seeking to include non-EU partners in a formal defence framework. The speech contained no concrete policy plans beyond the institutional outline, and the Commissioner did not present a timeline for the proposed roadmap beyond a sequence of steps starting with an informal Security Council.
EU member states would face a choice between joining a new intergovernmental defence framework or remaining outside, potentially creating a two-speed defence Europe. The UK would gain a formal role in European defence decision-making through the proposed Security Council, but would need to negotiate participation terms. Ukraine would be offered integration into European defence architecture, strengthening its security ties but requiring alignment with EU defence standards. EU defence industries could benefit from expanded procurement and collaboration under the new framework, but may face increased competition from UK and Ukrainian producers.