EU will step in and continue support for Kyiv, predicts Ukraine’s Vice PM for European Integration

Amid growing concern that US President-elect Donald Trump might withdraw Washington‘s crucial support for Kyiv after he takes office in January, Ukraine’s Vice Prime Minister for European Integration Olha Stefanishyna says she believes the EU will step in and will continue its support of Kyiv, even more so with the backing of the new Commission.

She told Euronews that the expectations are high for the changes ahead. 

“It is an unprecedented case that three members of the European Commission are responsible for security and defense policy,” Stefanishyna said.

“This means that we are going to see very big changes. And, of course, we also spoke at a meeting with members of the European Parliament about the Danish model of deploying joint production with Ukrainian defence industry – is the model that should be applied by other countries too.”

The “Danish model,” initiated by Denmark, funds Ukraine’s defence industry to bolster its self-reliance in arms production for its military. The funding mechanism aims to strengthen Ukraine’s industrial base in Europe.

Continued military and financial support for Ukraine is expected to be one the main priorities of Poland for the next rotating EU presidency. But this won’t necessarily mean Ukraine’s EU accession. 

“Basically, the Polish Presidency relies on the work of the European Commission,” Stefanishyna told Euronews, “So far, I have only heard that the Polish presidency will focus on security issues. I have no specifics unfortunately, as a result of this conversation.”

Poland has been one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion and a vocal supporter of Ukraine on the world stage, campaigning for Kyiv to receive all the required weaponry to win the war that Moscow unleashed.

Yet, bilateral relations are far from perfect, with the two countries sharing long-standing disputes over Ukrainian agricultural imports and grievances over the exhumations of victims of the 1943 Volyn Massacre. Both are far from being resolved.