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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Jennifer Rankin in Brussels

Loan scheme to rearm Europe could be ‘important breakthrough’ in Ukraine support

Ukrainian servicemen of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade stand guard during a military training
Ukrainian servicemen of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade stand guard during a military training at an undisclosed location in Kharkiv Region on May 14, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Photograph: Tetiana Dzhafarova/AFP/Getty Images

A €150bn (£126bn) loans programme to rearm Europe that was finalised this week could be “a very important breakthrough” in the EU’s military support for Ukraine, the bloc’s defence commissioner has said.

Andrius Kubilius, a former prime minister of Lithuania who is the EU’s first defence commissioner, said he expected a lot of member states to request EU-backed loans under the €150bn Security Action for Europe (SAFE) scheme, which was approved on Wednesday.

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