EU Defense Night 2026

EU Defense Night is the European Union Delegation’s annual flagship convening in Washington, D.C., showcasing the EU’s expanding role in the defense domain. Now in its third edition, it brings together hundreds of national and state policymakers, defense and space industry leaders, investors and venture capitalists, policy experts, and media from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss opportunities in European defense and space production, as well as EU-U.S. defense and security cooperation.

The inaugural 2024 edition, held on the eve of the 75th NATO Summit in Washington, highlighted Europe’s ambition to scale up its defense capabilities, driven in part by Ukraine’s operational needs and combat experience. The 2025 edition, held shortly after the NATO Summit in The Hague, underscored the EU’s commitment to European security through an unprecedented $910 billion financial mobilization in the sector.

In 2026, as the EU is preparing a new European Security Strategy, the EU Delegation will partner with industry stakeholders, and the European Investment Bank Group to spotlight emerging defense initiatives enabled by the new EU instruments and EU Member State financial commitments. The event will highlight opportunities for business collaboration, explore cutting-edge technologies and lessons learned from Ukraine, and reaffirm the importance of EU-U.S. partnership. In the context of firsthand battlefield experience from Ukraine, high-level discussions will examine how startups and advanced technology ecosystems contribute commercially viable solutions to the defense industrial base, with a focus on artificial intelligence and drones, energy resilience, and critical minerals.

PROGRAM

4:30 – 5:30PM     
Investors Forum by European Investment Bank Group (EIB), featuring Robert de Groot, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank

5:30 – 6:00PM 
Welcome Cocktail

6:00 – 6:20PM 
Keynote Address by Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defense and Space

6:20 – 7:30PM
Fireside chats and expert panels on: 

AI at War and Spotlight on Ukraine

Co-production and Supply Chain Resilience

7:30 – 9:00PM 
Networking Reception