Canada becomes first non-European country to join EU defense mechanism SAFE
Cypriot Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas, whose country currently holds the presidency of the Council of the EU, stressed that Canada is one of the European Union's closest allies.
"Having Canada joining SAFE highlights the deep trust between us and sets a strong precedent for how the EU can collaborate with key strategic partners to safeguard our collective future," he said.
SAFE is a European Union financial instrument that supports member states seeking to invest in defense industrial production through joint procurement mechanisms. The program is primarily focused on developing priority defense capabilities.
The SAFE instrument provides funding for urgent and large-scale investments in the European Defense Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB). Its objectives include:
Under the SAFE framework, Ukraine is also eligible to participate in joint procurement projects. The same opportunity is available to countries on the path to EU membership, candidate and potential candidate countries, as well as states that have signed Security and Defense Partnerships with the European Union. These partners can take part in joint procurement initiatives and contribute to building aggregate demand.
The SAFE regulation was adopted in May 2025 as part of the EU's "Readiness 2030" initiative, a major defense package designed to provide member states with additional financial tools to significantly increase investment in defense.
As previously reported, Canada concluded negotiations with the European Union on participation in the SAFE program and became the first non-European country to join the initiative, which is aimed at strengthening the defense industry and supporting Ukraine. The cooperation is expected to:
Earlier, it was also announced that Spain would provide Ukraine with a new military assistance package worth €615 million. Of this amount, €100 million will be allocated through NATO's PURL mechanism for the purchase of US weapons for Ukraine, while €215 million will be channelled through the EU's SAFE instrument to finance the procurement of counter-drone systems and radar equipment, much of which is produced by Spanish companies.
In addition, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi and Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov recently discussed strengthening energy cooperation and exploring opportunities offered by the SAFE instrument.
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16 of June 2026
