The United Kingdom, Netherlands and Finland are in talks with other allies to establish a new defence-focused financial institution aimed at funding joint military projects.
The proposed mechanism would function similarly to the European Investment Bank, allowing participating countries to provide capital that can be used to issue bonds and finance multi-year defence initiatives. Officials say the goal is to have the structure in place by 2027, complementing existing frameworks within NATO and the European Union.
According to the Dutch finance ministry (via Defense News), "based on paid-in capital and committed capital, it can issue bonds that can be purchased by investors, thereby acting as a lever," enabling funding for joint procurement, tenders and industrial scaling, particularly for smaller companies in the defence supply chain.
The initiative is designed to reduce reliance on national budgets and accelerate cooperation between allies, including non-EU partners. As Dutch finance minister Eelco Heinen put it: "By joining forces, we get more security with the same resources and we strengthen our alliances as well."