Ukraine and European Defense Wins: EAU & DTU Delegation to Western Europe, Spring 2025

Defense Tech for Ukraine / European Action for Ukraine
Delegation to Europe for Ukraine

Spring 2025, Defense Tech for Ukraine (DTU) and European Action for Ukraine (EAU) teams spent two weeks in the Baltics (Latvia, Estonia) and Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands) regions.

Actions & Connections

• Drone Summit conference

• Belgian Defense Hackathon

• 3 European Parliament members

• 2 Defense Ministers

• The Ukrainian Mission to the European Union

• NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) team

• 5 defense manufacturers

• 2 pro-Ukraine NGOs

• Several large donors and other powerful allies

Improved defense capabilities via collaboration among European and Ukrainian partners, facilitated by the Defense Tech for Ukraine nonprofit.

Drone Summit in Riga, Latvia

DTU presented at the 2025 Drone Summit in Latvia, hosted by Riga Technical University. Many new connections and opportunities to expand DTU’s network and ability to assist Ukraine’s defense.

Speaking at Drone Summit in Rīga, Latvia

DTU Executive Director Carl Larson spoke on the importance of Europeans aiding Ukraine:

“This is the call of our generation. If I’d been alive during the 1940s I would have fought the German Nazis. I’m alive now so I fight the Russian Nazis. And I call upon all of you to do the same.”
— DTU Executive Director Carl Larson

Media Attention from Drone Summit

DTU was interviewed by 5 prominent news outlets at the Drone Summit conference.

Connections with the Riga Technical University in Latvia

Latvia’s Riga Technical University (RTU) has a strong defense focus. DTU visited some of their research labs and looks forward to close cooperation with RTU to strengthen the defense of Latvia, Ukraine, and for that matter, all democracies.

Latvian and Estonian Defense Manufacturers

The DTU team met 5 Baltic defense manufacturers and identified opportunities to work together against the common threat.

DTU Partner: Ukrainian VARTA Drone Hunter

DTU is proud to partner with and support Ukrainian manufacturer VARTA, maker of the Drone Hunter recoilless drone-mounted kit to interdict Russian drones.

🔗 Visit VARTA Drone

Belgian Defense Hackathon

Defense Tech for Ukraine (DTU) participated in the Belgian Ministry of Defense’s Battlefield of Things 2: Drone Hackathon.

Teams worked on and presented solutions for detecting and countering drones that don’t emit RF, bolstering the defense tech ecosystem, and for amplifying drone pilot effectiveness. Several of the engineers there are now new members of our DTU community.

NATO Connections

Defense Tech for Ukraine (DTU) met with NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) team at NATO HQ in Brussels and discussed ways to ramp up European and Ukrainian defense.

Netherlands NGOs and Defense Manufacturers

Dutch defense manufacturers are already supporting Ukraine’s defense, and Dutch NGOs are delivering large quantities of highly innovative aid.

Advocacy for Ukraine in Brussels

The European Action for Ukraine (EAU) team built relationships, identified opportunities, and connections in Brussels, especially at the European Parliament.

Ukraine Advocacy in the European Parliament

MEP (Belgium) Yvan Verougstraete
MEP (Latvia) Reinis Poznaks
MEP (fmr – NL) Catharina Rinzema

The team met with 3 members of the European Parliament, as well as two defense ministers (Finland and Latvia), Ukraine’s Mission to the EU, and other powerful supporters of Ukraine.

Consultation with these experienced allies resulted in the following strategies to support Ukraine in the EU:

Advocacy Opportunities in the EU Parliament

Short Term

• Funding for “Wall of Drones”

• Redirect frozen RU funds in EU banks to help Ukraine

• Strengthen sanctions on Russia

• Creation of NATO Bank, DSRB (Defense & Security Resilience Bank)

Medium Term

• End prohibition of EU citizens volunteering with the UA military

• Lowering the price of oil/gas

• Prioritize EU collaboration with and funding of UA

Long Term

• Funding for counter-propaganda efforts

Ukrainian-Belgian Community for Ongoing Action

Defense Tech for Ukraine Executive Team

Defense Tech for Ukraine (DTU) is a 300-person community of engineers, current and former soldiers, manufacturers, project managers and allies, all working together to improve the quality and quantity of tools in the hands of Ukraine’s defenders.

A few examples of defense tech projects DTU is proud to support:

• Drone-mounted recoilless shotguns for interdicting ork drones

• Acoustic drone detector mesh network

• Integrated FC and fiber optic converter module

• Jet-powered air-to-air interceptor drone

• Air-to-air rockets

• 3D printed, fixed-wing drones

DTU is looking to connect with more Ukrainian, European, Canadian, Taiwanese, Australian and American soldiers, manufacturers, engineers, project managers and allies.

We are especially seeking Ukrainian defense tech startup innovators who need engineering and resource support.

🔗 defensetechforukraine.org

Executive Team:

• Jonathan Lippert — President

• Carl Larson — Executive Director

• David Black — Chief Strategic Officer

• Iuliia Puchko — Ukrainian Community Director

• Yulia Brockdorf — Executive Team Member

• Catherine Pedersen — Communications Director

European Action for Ukraine Executive Team

Country Advocacy Leads

European Action for Ukraine (EAU)** is a nonprofit organization focused on ramping up European advocacy efforts for Ukraine.

EAU’s mission is to mobilize and expand European leadership—particularly from key nations such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and France—to dramatically increase military aid, financial assistance, and diplomatic assistance for Ukraine against Russian aggression.

European governments must enact robust, sustained measures—including the delivery of advanced defense systems, substantial economic support, and the passage of strong pro-Ukraine legislation.

These efforts are not only vital for Ukraine’s survival but also for ensuring long-term stability across the European continent. Supporting Ukraine must be understood as a strategic investment in peace and security, rather than a discretionary expense.

EAU consists of 60+ experienced volunteer advocates from Europe and North America. The organization partners with and supports existing advocacy efforts in key European capitals, including Berlin, London, Paris, and Brussels.

While European members lead outreach to their respective national governments, American members contribute by sharing advocacy strategies honed through years of experience in Washington, D.C.

By uniting dedicated volunteers and resources in a common goal, EAU builds a stronger, more coordinated movement capable of influencing real policy change in support of Ukraine.