BRUSSELS: Europe should further boost military spending, pool resources on joint defense projects and buy more European arms, according to an EU blueprint unveiled on Wednesday, driven by fears of Russia and doubts about the future of US protection.
\nThe European Commission, the EU\u2019s executive body, presented the proposals in a White Paper on defense, which aims to ensure Europe has a \u201cstrong and sufficient\u201d defense posture by 2030.
\n\u201cThe international order is undergoing changes of a magnitude not seen since 1945. This is a pivotal moment for European security,\u201d European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters in Brussels.
\nKallas said Russia\u2019s economy was in \u201cfull war mode,\u201d with 40 percent of its federal budget going to the military.
\n\u201cRegardless of the ongoing negotiations for peace in Ukraine, this is a long-term investment in a long-term plan of aggression,\u201d she declared.
\nSome proposed measures aim to boost the EU\u2019s arms industry, meaning any role for companies from major weapons producers outside the bloc such as the United States, Britain and Turkiye would be substantially limited.
\nEU countries have already begun boosting their own defenses in response to Russia\u2019s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. They ramped up defense spending by more than 30 percent between 2021 and 2024.
\nBut their efforts have acquired more urgency from US President Donald Trump\u2019s rapprochement with Russia and US warnings that European security can no longer be Washington\u2019s primary focus.
\n\u201c450 million European Union citizens should not have to depend on 340 million Americans to defend ourselves against 140 million Russians, who cannot defeat 38 million Ukrainians,\u201d European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said.
\n\u201cWe really can do better. It\u2019s time for us to take responsibility for the defense of Europe.\u201d<\/p>\n
CAPABILITY GAPS
\nThe paper urges Europe to fill \u201ccapability gaps\u201d in areas such as air and missile defense, artillery, ammunition and missiles, drones, military transport, artificial intelligence, cyber warfare and infrastructure protection.
\nThe paper \u2013 a draft of which was leaked last week \u2014 proposes EU countries swiftly pool resources to fill the gaps, including through Defense Projects of Common European Interest, defined by governments and benefiting from EU financial incentives.
\nMoscow has condemned the EU\u2019s rearmament push as an incitement to war based on an \u201cinvented story\u201d of a Russian threat. Such words have not reassured European leaders, as Russia made similar statements before the invasion of Ukraine.
\nThe EU paper includes proposals outlined earlier this month to boost countries\u2019 defense spending.
\nThose include a plan for the Commission to borrow 150 billion euros ($163.35 billion) for loans to EU governments to spend on defense projects and easing EU rules on public finances, which the Commission says could mobilize a further 650 billion euros.
\nDefense policy has traditionally been the domain of national governments and the NATO security alliance that brings together North America and Europe.
\nBut the EU has become increasingly involved in defense in recent years and the White Paper suggests a fundamental shift to a more pan-European approach.
\nMany EU governments say they are in favor. But how it would work is likely to be the subject of fierce debate \u2014 over who should have the power to decide on joint projects, who should run them and how they should be funded.
\nThe proposals in the paper would require the approval of the bloc\u2019s national governments and \u2014 in some cases \u2014 the European Parliament to become law.
\nIn the paper, the European Commission suggests it could act as a \u201ccentral purchasing body\u201d on behalf of EU members. But some EU capitals have already signalled resistance, wanting to keep such decisions in the hands of national governments.
\nThe paper says the Commission will also work on building a true EU-wide market for defense equipment, simplifying and harmonizing rules.
\nSuch measures are intended to reduce the fragmentation of Europe\u2019s defense industry, in which many manufacturers produce different weapons systems for different governments.
\nFor example, Europe has 19 different main battle tanks, compared to just one in the United States and 17 types of torpedoes compared to just two in the US, according to an analysis by McKinsey.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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