From the Liveblog of
Monday, August 24, 2026
EU announces billions more for Ukraine missile defense as leaders visit Kyiv
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The European Union says it has released another 6.1 billion euros ($7.1 billion) in military aid for Ukraine to boost its air defenses against Russian missile attacks, as European leaders visit the country in a show of support of Ukraine’s Independence Day.
“On Ukraine’s Independence Day, we show our unfaltering support. Today, we approved €6.1 billion for the air and missile defense systems, missiles, ammunition and radars that Ukraine urgently needs,” European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen says on X.
The financing is part of a 90 billion-euro loan, including 60 billion euros in military aid, that the EU has said will go to Ukraine. Some 16 billion euros has already been allocated and 8.5 billion euros sent to Kyiv.
The announcement comes as UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrives in Kyiv for talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders allied with Ukraine, including European Council President Antonio Costa, Moldovan President Maia Sandu, Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Estonian President Alar Karis.
Burnham, on his first overseas trip since taking office, is expected to announce that the UK government has agreed to allow defense company MBDA to release classified information relating to British components used in the SCALP long-range missile, according to his office. This would pave the way for France and Ukraine to advance plans for local production of the weapon in Ukraine.
The Times of Israel Community.