European Advocacy for Ukraine: Mid-May 2026 Updates

May 15, 2026 | Bi-Weekly Strategic Update

Cette lettre d'information est publiée par European Action for Ukraine (EAU). Si vous ne figurez pas sur la liste de diffusion de l'EAU, inscrivez-vous sur le site web : https://europeanactionforukraine.org

Union européenne

EU Sanctions Russians for Deportation of Ukrainian Children

• Over 20,500 Ukrainian children have been subject to systematic unlawful deportation and indoctrination. Recent offenders found responsible by the European Commission are being implicated for breaches of international law. These include violations of the fundamental rights of the child and attempting to erase Ukrainian identity.

• Those recently found responsible include 16 individuals and 4 entities, including federal institutions connected to the Russian Ministry of Education and officials and politicians in occupied territories of Ukraine. As a result they are being subject to an asset freeze while EU citizens and companies are prohibited from providing them with financial or economic resources. 

EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance

• Member States of the European Union have identified drones and counter-drones as one of the capability priority areas in the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 that they believe will be critical in defense against unmanned aerial vehicles. Focusing on this would emphasize building on the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine while prioritizing innovation and strategic communication.

• The alliance with Ukraine will be industry-led by including partnerships with system manufacturers and innovators in addition to the Member State-led Priority Capability Coalition to ensure effective results and capabilities.

Royaume-Uni 

Additional Measures and Sanctions to Target Russian Misinformation and Deportations

• The UK has taken direct measures against Russian and Russian-affiliated groups in their campaigns of misinformation and direct hostility. 85 individuals and entities have been sanctioned for indoctrinating Ukrainian children and conducting misinformation campaigns. 

• The government also exposed the Social Design Agency for making and disseminating Kremlin propaganda and establishing pro-Russian organizations in Armenia to sway the balance of power in the country’s upcoming elections. 

• Sanctions Minister Stephen Doughty will also announce £1.2 million in funding towards the Verification Centre and Tracing Mechanism to help find deported Ukrainian children. 

Updates from the EAU UK Team

• Last week focused heavily on building EAU UK’s operational and strategic infrastructure: parliamentary engagement systems, policy framing, organisational coordination, communications strategy, and advocacy positioning. Significant work was undertaken to move EAU UK toward a more structured parliamentary and policy-facing model.

If you are interested, please consider joining their efforts to support Ukraine

France

Parliament debates seizure of frozen Russian sovereign assets

• On May 7, 2026 the French parliament filed an amendment to allow for the confiscation of private property of those found responsible for international crimes under the Rome Statute. It has yet to be discussed. 

• Those who could be implicated include entities and individuals “who compromise or threaten Ukrainian territorial integrity, provide material or financial support to the Russian war effort, and supply a substantial source of revenue to the Russian state,” (assemblee-nationale).

French-Ukrainian Defense Robotics Partnership 

• French robotics company Shark Robotics and Ukrainian defense tech firm Tencore announced a partnership at the EU-Ukraine Business Forum in late April to co-develop a new defense robot designed to meet the criteria for various European armed forces. The defense robot will primarily be designed for logistical missions and the evacuation of wounded soldiers. 

• Their agreement also includes the delivery of 200 of Shark Robotics’ firefighting robots that can fulfill additional needs such as reconnaissance and load transport. 40 have already been given to the Ukrainian National Emergency Service. 

Allemagne

2027 Budget Targets Outline Funds for Ukraine

• On April 29, 2026 the German government approved its 2027 key budget targets with a major emphasis on defense spending with an allocation of 543.3 billion euros from 2027-2029. 

• Germany remains committed to supporting Ukraine by setting aside a special fund of “11.6 billion euros in 2027 and 8.5 billion euros per year between 2028 and 2030,” (Reuters). When asked about the drop in funding in subsequent years, Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil responded that the amount could change depending on Ukraine’s demonstrated needs. 

l'Ukraine

Last Year’s Anti-corruption case Continues 

• In an anti-corruption probe that began last year, Ukraine’s former Chief of Staff, Andriy Yermak, was recently identified as a suspect in the graft probe which is a step short of formally charging him. In the initial investigation he was accused of participating in a group that laundered $10.5 million through a housing development project. This news comes after his November resignation. Although the agency did not identify him directly, local news outlets provided his name.