EU talks funding Kyiv and how to boost industry

Brussels Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.4 • 204 Ratings

🗓️ 11 February 2026

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

It’s another day of high-level talks across Belgium. First, the EU’s defense ministers meet in Brussels. Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart dive into the Foreign Affairs Council hosted by the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas — with Ukraine’s new defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, also at the table. On the agenda: signing off on eight national plans under the EU’s flagship defense program, SAFE, and discussions around the €90 billion loan for Ukraine. Then we head to Antwerp for the European Industry Summit, where Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever meet industrial heavyweights to talk ideas for boosting Europe’s competitiveness. Plus, De Wever casts himself as a miracle-maker for the Brussels region as long-stalled coalition talks shift into a higher gear. And finally, Ian and Zoya share listeners’ tips on where to go for a drink as Irish pubs disappear from Brussels. Send us your go-to karaoke song for a night out — and sing it for us in a voice note. We might play some in a future episode. Messages can be anonymous. Our WhatsApp number is: +32 491 05 06 29 **A message from Amazon: Across Europe, businesses are growing with the AWS Cloud to build innovative, scalable products. From Europe’s largest enterprises and government agencies to the continent’s fastest growing startups, learn more about how AWS Cloud is helping businesses across Europe grow at AWS.eu.** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today's episode is presented by Amazon. Across Europe, businesses are growing with the
0:05.9	AWS Cloud to build innovative, scalable products. From Europe's largest enterprises and government
0:11.8	agencies to the continent's fastest growing startups, learn more about how AWS Cloud is helping
0:17.7	businesses across Europe grow at AWS.EU. It's Wednesday, helping businesses across Europe grow at aWS.
0:27.0	It's Wednesday, February 11, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast.
0:30.1	It's your guide to what's driving EU politics.
0:35.5	The vibe today is safe as the EU's defence ministers meet in Brussels.
0:41.0	Also on the table, some EU leaders are joining a European industry summit in Antwerp.
0:44.1	And we're looking for political miracles in Brussels.
0:48.5	I'm Zoya Shafdlovich, Politico's chief EU correspondent.
0:52.8	And with me in the studio today is our senior EU politics editor, Ian Wischart.
0:56.9	Hello, Zoya. Morning, everyone. They let us back for a second day, so I think that's an achievement in itself. An achievement or a miracle, some might say. All right, let's get to it.
1:02.6	So our first story today, EU defence ministers coming to Brussels, meeting here for the Foreign
1:08.3	Affairs Council hosted by Kayakalis, the High Representative.
1:12.6	But I find something that's interesting, Zoya, is that the Ukrainian defense minister is also here,
1:18.2	isn't he? And I think that's kind of like a very good example just of what we were talking
1:22.3	about yesterday, about Ukraine slowly being brought into the EU fold.
1:26.9	That's right.
1:27.6	Mikhaila Fedrov is in town.
1:29.4	It's a pretty interesting occasion for him.
1:31.6	He's only really been appointed last month before that he was the digital transformation
1:36.2	minister of Ukraine.
	...

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