Today in Brussels, Ukraine Facility Platform presented its new report, "How unique Ukraine's defence ecosystem can contribute to European collective security", followed by a closed-door roundtable with EU, national, industry and think-tank voices.

The report's core argument is that Ukraine's real asset isn't any single drone or system. It's the ecosystem behind them: civilian industries, volunteer networks, frontline R&D and producer-operator feedback loops that turn a soldier's complaint into an upgraded product in days. That speed can't be bought. It can only be joined.

The discussion tested this from several angles:

  • Partner, co-architect and competitor. Ukrainian industry is all three. Lasting access to the EU market runs through partnerships with European companies, and since 2024–25 those companies increasingly see Ukrainian firms as reliable partners.
  • B2B and G2G need each other. Business partnerships drive cooperation, but only government-to-government frameworks can unlock technology sharing and resolve legal hurdles on both sides.
  • Scale and fairness. Any fast track has to work at EU level, not regionally, and must keep competition fair. "Produced for Ukraine first, then for Europe" could help with certification.
  • Trust is the bottleneck. Europe doesn't lack innovation. It lacks a way to plug into a system that iterates in wartime, and that depends on trusting Ukrainian testing.
  • The legal gap is now the problem. Without end-user insight, industry stays limited. Without a common legal foundation, informal cooperation can't scale.
  • Who leads? The strongest consensus of the day was that change starts with a group of states willing to move first. Baltic and Nordic countries share the threat perception, and from there a coalition can carry the push to EU and NATO level. The EU brings the toolbox and regulatory levers. NATO needs to be in the conversation. Industry should drive the push for a common market, as it once did for energy. Think tanks can help governments see the full picture and turn presentations into deregulation and action.

Thank you to all participants for a frank and constructive exchange.

The report is still evolving. To receive the first draft and share your feedback, write to us at info@uafp.eu.