UPDATE - EU countries submit defense plans, majority include support for Ukraine

ADDS REMARKS BY EU COMMISSION SPOKESPERSON ON SAFE INITIATIVE

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - EU Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius said Monday that all 19 member states have submitted their national defense investment plans under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative, aimed at strengthening the bloc's defense readiness and industrial capacity.

Kubilius said in a post on US social media company X that 15 member states included support for Ukraine in their plans.

"More than expected! And we talk about billions, not millions," he added.

He stressed that the SAFE framework is "vital" for boosting the EU's defense preparedness and ensuring the sustainability of its defense industry.

The European Commission announced in September the allocation of a €150 billion ($174.3 billion) defense fund under its new SAFE program, which is designed to strengthen defense readiness across the bloc.

According to the commission, the funding will be distributed among 19 member states that requested support, based on a pre-allocation system.

Separately, EU Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier outlined the next steps in the process, emphasizing that each plan will first undergo a detailed assessment by the commission.

"Once the Council also endorses our assessment, then we can disburse the initial amounts and the projects can kickstart," he said.

He underlined that the commission has established a monitoring system to ensure funds earmarked for Ukraine are effectively delivered.

"This will be done through monitoring work," he said, noting that member states will be required to submit assessment and advancement reports to the commission.

"These can then always be associated with the payment request. So, of course, member states will get back to us. They will tell us how these projects are advancing concretely on the ground, and depending on that, we can release further amounts," he added.