The EU could allocate its defence budget for Ukraine’s defence budget, as the security of Europe and Ukraine is inextricably linked. This was stated by Erlend Bollman Bjørtvedt, CEO of Corisk, at the 18th annual Kyiv Security Forum “Darkness or Dawn: Is Light Ahead?”

“The main obstacle to Ukraine’s eventual accession to the EU is, of course, the war. I think the situation in Europe is very difficult now. The reason Europe is not acting strategically is simple: it lacks a strategy. To have a strategy, it’s necessary to have a goal. In my view, and the view of others, that goal can only be Ukraine’s victory in this war,” he said.

Bjørtvedt noted that this prospect is deeply unsettling for many Europeans, as a Ukrainian victory would necessarily mean Russia’s defeat—an outcome that some find alarming.
“I believe this is why Europe is not truly financing Ukraine’s war efforts. If we do not defeat Russia in this war, we will have to do so in the next war—and the next war will take place further to the west,” he emphasised.

Bjørtvedt also pointed out that the economic cost of the war is already evident. Nevertheless, there is no compromise between the security of Europe and the security of Ukraine.
“As Europeans, we might as well spend our defence budgets on Ukraine’s defence as on our own, because the security of Europe and Ukraine is inextricably linked,” the Corisk CEO stated.

Kyiv Security Forum (KSF) is an annual international event launched in 2007 on the initiative of Arseniy Yatsenyuk Open Ukraine Foundation. This year’s Forum is taking place on 23-24 April.