The redirection of European peace facility towards Ukraine and its significance for the Republic of Serbia

Popadić Uroš (Fakultet političkih nauka, Evropski pokret, Beograd), popadics.uros@gmail.com

The paper analyses the reorientation of the European Peace Facility towards Ukraine and its significance for the Republic of Serbia in the context of the changing European security environment and the increasingly pronounced geopoliticisation of the European Union’s actions. Starting from the fact that the European Peace Facility was established as an extra‐budgetary mechanism of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) for financing activities with military and defence implications, the paper examines how this instrument, through Council decisions and subsequent accompanying acts, gradually became one of the main mechanisms for military and broader financial support for Ukraine. The analysis revealed that the initial general framework of the instrument, established by Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/509, is already being specified in 2022 through an auxiliary measure for the supply of military equipment and platforms intended for the use of armed (lethal) force to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, while subsequent amendments increase its financial scope and expand the content of the support. Of particular importance is Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/890, which amends the basic act itself and introduces a specific earmarked amount for Ukraine, whereby support for Ukraine no longer appears only as an individual measure but as part of a broader financial and institutional reshaping of the instrument. The paper concludes that this change is also significant for Serbia, as it indicates a strong connection between European integration and foreign policy and security coordination, especially in relation to Ukraine, Russia, and the new EU defence agenda.

Keywords: European Peace Facility, conflict in Ukraine, European Union, CFSP, CSDP