Key facts
- Moldova will receive 100 million euros ($114 million) from the EU for air defense.
- This is the largest European defense support package approved for Moldova.
- The funds will be paid from the European Peace Facility, funded by EU member states.
- The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, had previously pushed for higher annual contributions to Moldova.
- The European Commission has proposed a larger, bloc-wide air defense project.
Moldova is set to receive 100 million euros ($114 million) from the European Union to bolster its air defenses, marking the largest European defense package ever approved for the country, according to two officials who spoke to the Kyiv Independent. The decision is expected to be approved on July 13.
The funds will be disbursed from the European Peace Facility, a fund established in 2021 and composed of direct contributions from the 27 EU member states. This significant package comes amid concerns over air defense shortages across Europe, exacerbated by Russia's missile attacks on Ukraine. Moldova, bordering Ukraine and with Russian troops stationed in its Transnistria region, is considered particularly vulnerable.
Over the past five years, Moldova has received a total of 197 million euros ($225 million) from the fund. The EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, had previously advocated for increasing annual contributions to Moldova to 120 million euros ($137 million). The upcoming disbursement would cover the majority of this requested annual amount.
Separately, the European Commission has proposed a broader, bloc-wide project for European air defense collaboration, with an estimated cost ranging from 55 billion to 80 billion euros ($63 billion-$92 billion). This initiative will require further discussion among EU countries, with defense ministers set to convene in September.