European Union leaders agreed to significantly increase defense spending amid ongoing concerns over the war in Ukraine and diminishing security guarantees from the United States. The decision was made during a summit on defense in Brussels on Monday, according to a Reuters report.
During the summit, the leaders emphasized that while the EU has taken substantial steps to bolster its defense since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, current efforts are insufficient to counter the escalating threat.
“A lot has been done already, but we need to do more. We need to do it better, stronger, faster—and we need to do it together,” said António Costa, President of the European Council, following the summit.
The leaders provided little clarity on how they plan to finance the surge in defense spending.
In recent years, European nations have already increased defense budgets in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and growing concerns that they cannot depend as heavily on the United States for the continent’s security in the future.
In an interview with BBC. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who previously served as Estonia’s prime minister, underscored the need to boost defense spending. “Every euro spent on schools, healthcare, and welfare is vulnerable if we don’t maintain strong defenses,” Kallas said.
She pointed to Russia’s defense spending, which currently accounts for 9% of its GDP, in stark contrast to the EU’s average of 1.9%. “To prevent war, we need to spend more. That is clear,” she said.
Kallas also highlighted the weakening U.S. security umbrella over Europe.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO allies for not meeting the alliance’s 2% defense spending target and recently called for European nations to allocate up to 5% of their GDP to defense.
Meanwhile, it was reported that the EU is also considering a new round of sanctions against Russia, expected to be announced next month to mark the third anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. “We need to be creative in limiting Russia’s ability to wage this war,” Kallas said, suggesting that tightening economic pressure on Moscow remains a critical component of the EU’s strategy.
