"One of the elements we discussed is the acceleration of innovation, including collaboration with Ukraine and its defense industry. It is truly impressive how quickly the Ukrainian industry has developed, particularly in drone production – more cost-effective, faster, and focused on more 'intelligent' drones. Our defense industry can learn a lot from the Ukrainian defense sector, which has real battlefield experience almost every day," she stated.
Von der Leyen noted that the threats currently facing Europe are real and are on the rise. These threats manifest in various forms – from Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine to cyberattacks and assaults on critical infrastructure, she said.
"We must be prepared for this and respond together as Europeans. We need to be strong in defense. Europe requires a boost in defense, and for that, our industrial base must be strengthened," emphasized the President of the European Commission.