Increased Military Spending and Capability Boosts Planned
European Union leaders have agreed to intensify their defense efforts against Russia and other threats by increasing spending and addressing gaps in military capabilities, Reuters reports.
“Much has already been done, but we need to do more. We must do it better, stronger, faster, and we must do it together,” said European Council President António Costa after a defense summit held Monday in Brussels.
However, leaders did not clarify how the planned defense buildup would be financed.
Shift Away from U.S. Security Reliance
European nations have already increased defense spending in recent years in response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. There is growing recognition that Europe cannot rely as heavily on the United States for its security in the future.
Concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump’s commitment to NATO and his demands for European nations to invest more in defense have further fueled EU efforts.
Defense Gaps and Unclear Funding Solutions
The EU summit took place amid heightened trade tensions, following Trump’s weekend announcement that he would soon impose tariffs on EU imports. This follows similar measures targeting Canada, Mexico—though postponed on Monday—and China.
EU leaders agreed to focus on addressing critical defense gaps, including air and missile defense, missile systems, ammunition, and military transport, Costa told reporters.
While they discussed ways to finance these priorities, no detailed agreement was reached. However, the European Commission agreed to explore greater flexibility in EU fiscal rules to facilitate defense spending.
“Europe fundamentally needs a defense boost. And for that, our defense industrial base must be strengthened,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after the summit.
