EU Approves €6.1 Billion for Ukraine Air and Missile Defenses

The European Union approved €6.1 billion for Ukraine's air and missile defense systems, missiles, ammunition and radars on Ukraine's Independence Day. The approval accompanies the first disbursements under the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan intended to sustain the country's finances and strengthen its defense capacity. The European Commission says total EU humanitarian, financial and military support since Russia's full-scale invasion has reached €220.2 billion. Ukraine also opened two EU accession-negotiation clusters this summer.