The European Commission is set to greenlight the final 28.3-billion-euro ($33-billion) tranche of this year's defense loans for Ukraine, including an approval for the purchase of U.S.-made Patriot missiles, on Sept. 11, EU and national diplomats confirmed to the
Kyiv Independent.
The purchase concerns PAC-3 interceptors, a key tool for defending Ukraine's skies against Russian ballistic missile attacks.
Member states have already backed the request, but one step remains before formal EU approval can be granted, the Kyiv Independent has learned after speaking with EU and national diplomats.
The European Commission still needs to write up the agreement and publish a communication for the approval to be final, which is expected on Sept. 11.
While the Commission's approval remains days away, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement among EU countries in a social media post on Sept. 8.
"The next disbursement of 3.2 billion euros will enable Ukraine to better protect its skies from Russia's indiscriminate attacks," von der Leyen said.
"We will continue to work hand in hand to support Ukraine and to strengthen Europe's defense posture."
