European Advocacy for Ukraine: Mid-August 2026 Updates

Uniunea Europeană

EU Disburses €3.47 Billion for Air Defense in Recent Installment of Ukraine Support Loan

• The EU invested €3.47 billion in Ukrainian air defense on July 30 from defense funds designated in the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan. The disbursement includes financing for additional drone procurement, including long-range jet-powered drones, missiles and Swedish Gripen jets. According to Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, the funds will also unite “Europe’s industrial scale with Ukraine’s unmatched innovation,” to further the EU’s Drone Deal. (EU)

• This follows previous investments under the defense window of €3.9 billion on June 30 and €1.1 billion on July 15. The €90 billion loan contains €60 billion specifically for Ukrainian defense capabilities and its defense-industrial base. The EU expects to disburse €28.3 billion to Ukraine in 2026 to support its defence industrial capacity with additional drones, ammunition, missiles, and air-defense funding expected in the coming weeks.

Regatul Unit 

Upcoming Legislation to Watch According to EAU’s UK Team

The Commons is currently in summer recess and returns on Tuesday 1 September 2026. It is scheduled to sit until 15 September, before conference recess.

Representation of the People Bill

• The Representation of the People Bill is currently in its Report Stage and will enter into its Third Reading. The Bill will return to the Commons on September 2, when MPs can consider Report Stage amendments. New Clause 24 (NC24) would require candidates to declare past or current income or gifts from the Russian Government or Russian-linked persons/entities.

• Parliamentary ask: Strengthen sanctions enforcement and consider additional statutory powers against shadow-fleet vessels and facilitators.

UK Joins Ukraine Support Loan

• The UK signed an agreement on 13 July to participate in the EU’s €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan. €60 billion is intended for defence expenditure, while UK participation enables Ukraine to procure from British defence manufacturers. The UK’s contribution will relate to contracts awarded to UK companies.

• Parliamentary ask: Transparency on UK contribution, British contracts and parliamentary oversight.

Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme

• The Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme has been extended by 24 months, allowing eligible Ukrainians up to 3.5 years under UPE in addition to previous Ukraine-scheme permission. Eligible participants can now apply 90 before their existing visa expires.

• Parliamentary ask: A clear long-term pathway and timetable from the Government.

Military Deployment in Ukraine

• The Government says plans exist for a Multinational Force of more than 25 nations that can be deployed following a ceasefire in Ukraine along with proposed legally binding security guarantees. The Coalition of the Willing has been working to develop a plan to defend a peace deal once it is achieved in Ukraine. In January, the UK and France signed a Declaration of Intent with Ukraine to deploy troops in the event of a peace deal.

• Parliamentary ask: Meaningful Commons scrutiny before any substantial deployment.

Foreign Affairs Committee Russian Inquiry

• The Commons Foreign Affairs Committee’s new Russia inquiry is accepting written evidence until 11:59pm on 3 September 2026. It specifically examines Russia’s international alliances and partnerships and Britain’s long-term strategic approach towards Russia with the understanding that tension with Russia will persist for the foreseeable future.

• Parliamentary opportunity: Submit evidence covering Ukraine, sanctions, frozen assets, hybrid warfare, defence-industrial resilience and the UK’s post-war Russia strategy.

Treceți la acțiune

• Contactați-vă deputatul în legătură cu aplicarea sancțiunilor

• Colaborarea cu grupurile parlamentare interpartinice (APPG)

• Participă la conferințele telefonice săptămânale ale echipei EAU UK pentru a afla detalii despre cum poți spori sprijinul acordat Ucrainei

Franța

France and Poland Lead Military Exercises for Ukraine

• To enhance future security guarantees for Ukraine after the war, Poland will host core members of the Coalition of the Willing this fall, namely the UK and France, to participate in military-drills. The objectives will include, “testing the command-and-control system, the organization of logistical support, and the deployment of troops, thereby confirming the force’s ability to operate once hostilities have ended,” according to a spokesperson for the Polish Ministry of National Defence. (Defense News)

• As of August 13, French and Polish military personnel continue training Ukrainian Armed Forces across six different training courses on Polish territory. Early last week some trainees were taught combat skills such as weapons handling, individual tactics, and team tactics. Last weekend a course in urban warfare (FIBUA) concluded. This week a course began to qualify infantry combat group leaders while a course on commando techniques is entering its final week where it will be synthesized and mastered.

Russian Interference in 2027 Presidential Election

• Three politicians who have been vocal in their support for Ukraine and are either declared or potential candidates for next year’s presidential election have been targeted by Russian disinformation campaigns aimed at fragilizing their standing in French public opinion.

• Presidential candidate Édouard Philippe, former Prime Minister and current Mayor of Le Havre, was targeted first on July 24 by pro-Russian network Storm-1516 which posted fabricated information about his health on the internet.

• Later, potential candidate Raphaël Glucksmann, co-president of the political party Place Publique, admitted on August 4 that he had been targeted earlier when a network which imitated the news outlet Blast accused his partner, journalist Léa Salamé, of attempting to bribe media outlets to promote his presidential candidacy.

• Gabriel Attal, member of the French National Assembly, former Prime Minister, and 2027 presidential candidate representing the Renaissance Party, was also targeted in a Russian disinformation campaign on August 4. The campaign included tweets from unidentified accounts on X and falsified reports, videos, and articles that mimicked numerous French media outlets. The campaign was detected by Viginum, the service employed to combat digital international interference in France, and was attributed to pro-Russian network Matriochka.

• Attal received criticism for an interview in Le Journal du Dimanche published on August 2, when the outlet also ran articles supporting Russian propagandist Xenia Fedorova on the same day. Attal reiterated his support for Ukraine and claimed that the Russian interference intended to “support Marine Le Pen, as the RN has always been in support of Russia.” Several far-right politicians have since accused Attal of using the Russian disinformation attacks against him as leverage to boost his poll numbers.

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Treceți la acțiune

• Avoid resharing the contents promoted by Russian disinformation campaigns, even to discredit them, as it only amplifies their visibility

• Meet your député at their permanence parlementaire to get support for Ukraine written into the 2027 French budget

• Participă la conferințele telefonice săptămânale ale echipei EAU Franța pentru a afla detalii despre cum poți spori sprijinul acordat Ucrainei

Germania

Germany to Produce ATACMS with Lockheed Martin

• As of August 7, Germany is preparing to develop Army Tactical ​Missile Systems (ATACMS). Last month Rheinmetall, a major German arms manufacturer, signed a memorandum with Lockheed Martin to jointly produce these missiles with production facilities projected to be established next year. Although these missiles are not directly earmarked for Ukraine because the project is still in development, they will improve European self-reliance and alleviate the strain placed on Western long-range missiles inventories necesary for Ukraine and the war in Iran.

Drone with Explosive Found at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany

• A drone with “an unknown explosive device” was found and defused near the south runway of the German Leipzig/Halle Airport on August 4. Investigators indicate that the drone was “professionally prepared” due to evidence of advanced technical knowledge and experience. Federal prosecutors identified this incident as “a serious attack on the transportation and logistics infrastructure in Germany” capable of undermining Germany’s security domestically and abroad. (AP News)

• On the same night an unidentified object collided with a cargo plane after the plane aborted its landing at the airport due to the airport’s closure from the bomb threat. This resulted in minor damage and the plane was able to land safely at a different airport.

• Leipzig airport is a major international location for freight and support for Ukraine as the Ukrainian Antonov transport aircraft regularly uses it. The airport is also home to NATO’s Strategic Airlift International Solution (SALIS) which currently operates almost daily to deliver equipment to “NATO battle groups along its Eastern Flank from Finland to Romania” and missions in allied nations. (AP News)

• This is the second attack on the airport in two years with the previous one taking place in 2024 when an incendiary device set fire to a freight container in a logistics hub at the airport. Western officials blame Russian Intelligence on this attack. According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. Intelligence suspects this most recent threat to the German airport was also conducted by Moscow to test the resolve of NATO partners as threats to European aviation rise.

Treceți la acțiune

• Solicităm Comisiei pentru buget (Haushaltsausschuss) să protejeze ajutorul acordat Ucrainei

• Sprijinirea programelor de înfrățire între localități (Städtepartnerschaften)

• Implicați-vă prin petiții adresate Bundestagului

• Participă la conferințele telefonice săptămânale ale echipei EAU Germania pentru a afla detalii despre cum poți spori sprijinul acordat Ucrainei

Ucraina