Luxembourg to Increase Military Support for Ukraine to €120m

On Tuesday 20 May 2025, Luxembourg's Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, participated in the EU "Defence" Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) in Brussels, Belgium.

As reported by Luxembourg's Directorate of Defence, the first session of the FAC, which was also attended by Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, focused on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the situation on the frontlines, Ukraine's current needs and priorities and the EU's military support to Ukraine.

In the context of recent developments in ceasefire negotiations, the EU Defence Ministers discussed the possibility of European contributions to security guarantees for Ukraine, notably through a possible extension of the mandate of the EU Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) and the intensification of EU-Ukraine defence industrial cooperation.

Regarding the increase in Luxembourg's defence effort to 2% of gross national income (GNI) by the end of the year, Minister Backes highlighted the strengthening of military support to Ukraine: "This year, Luxembourg will increase its military support to Ukraine to €120 million, which represents our largest contribution since the beginning of the war." The minister added that "Luxembourg contributes to the European initiative to provide large-caliber artillery ammunition, and we fully support the ongoing efforts to examine how the EU can contribute to ensuring Ukraine's security."

During the second session, EU Defence Ministers exchanged views on strengthening European defence preparedness through the implementation of the White Paper for European Defence - Readiness 2030, the new Security Action for Europe (SAFE) lending instrument and the ReArm Europe Plan. In her speech, Minister Backes welcomed the publication of the White Paper, emphasising the important role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in all EU programmes in this area. Regarding EU-NATO cooperation, she reiterated that initiatives at the EU level should in no way involve duplication or competition with NATO, which should remain the cornerstone of collective defence. "On the contrary, we firmly believe that a more capable [European] Union in defence matters can only strengthen NATO," concluded the minister.

On the sidelines of the FAC, Minister Backes had a bilateral meeting with her Polish counterpart, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, to discuss defence cooperation, particularly in the field of space. She also had discussions with Theo Francken, Belgian Minister of Defence, on current issues of interest to both Belgium and Luxembourg.

Following the FAC, Minister Backes participated in the meeting of the Steering Board of the European Defence Agency (EDA), during which the agency presented its priorities and new Chief Executive, André Denk.