Luxembourg Backs Stronger EU Defence & Security Guarantees for Ukraine

From Thursday 28 to Friday 29 August 2025, Luxembourg’s Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, took part in the informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers in Copenhagen, Denmark.

On the first day, at a pre-event organised by the Danish Presidency, Minister Backes attended two round tables focused on lessons learned from Nordic defence cooperation and on European defence industrial cooperation with Ukraine, according to Luxembourg’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity and the Directorate of Defence.

During the opening working session on Thursday, the EU Defence Ministers, together with their Ukrainian counterpart, Denys Shmyhal, via videoconference, and NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Šekerinska, discussed the role of the European Union in ensuring a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. Topics included strengthening European military support, a possible adaptation of the EUMAM Ukraine mission mandate, and further investment and integration of Ukraine into EU initiatives. Minister Backes emphasised: “Luxembourg fully supports the efforts currently being made by the EU Member States and Ukraine’s partners to prepare for the ‘day after’ a ceasefire or peace agreement… Ukraine is committed to Europe’s security; it is up to us to provide them with the means.”

The second working session centred on strengthening European defence preparedness through the implementation of the White Paper Defence Readiness 2030 and the ReArm Europe plan. Minister Backes welcomed recent progress on the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) but stressed that the budget envelope must match the level of ambition, particularly to support SMEs, which play a crucial role in the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB), the ministries noted.

The final session addressed the eight EU military missions and operations carried out under the Common Security and Defence Policy.

In parallel with the Defence Ministers’ meeting, Minister Backes, in her capacity as Minister for Gender Equality and Diversity, met with her Danish counterpart Magnus Heunicke, Minister for the Environment and Gender Equality. Discussions focused on the Danish EU Presidency’s priorities of gender equality, inclusion and diversity, notably the fight against violence against women and domestic violence, safeguarding women’s right to bodily autonomy, strengthening LGBTIQ+ rights and involving men and boys in gender equality efforts. The ministers exchanged best practices and reaffirmed their shared commitment to European values such as respect, tolerance and inclusion, particularly at a time of growing global pushback against the rights of women and minorities, according to the Ministry of Gender Equality and Diversity and the Directorate of Defence.