The European Union (EU), grappling with Russia’s aggressive policies and the potential erosion of US security protections, will try to work on plans to help member states strengthen their defenses on Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump has stepped up calls for Europe to re-arm, questioning Washington’s central role in NATO and taking a swipe at Russia in Ukraine. In an effort to give the 27 EU countries the tools to boost spending, Brussels has this month presented draft proposals that could mobilize up to eight trillion euros ($875 billion).
Officials are now outlining the plans and setting a deadline for member states to respond, starting next month. “If Europe wants to avoid war, Europe must be prepared for war,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday, adding that “Europe must have a strong European defense posture by 2030.”
The plan proposes easing the bloc’s financial rules to allow states to spend much more on defense. It is a measure that the commission says could unlock up to 650 billion euros over four years. In a white paper to be presented on Wednesday, according to a draft seen by AFP, Brussels is set to ask EU countries to start the process by April.
The draft also says member states should approve an initiative to provide up to 150 billion euros in loans backed by the EU’s central budget “as an emergency measure.” But the document stops short of recommending a major joint borrowing program, despite some EU countries arguing that the bloc needs the same massive cash flow it pumped into its recovery from the Covid pandemic.
No big bang
Strengthening Europe’s defences will top the agenda at a summit of EU leaders later this week. It will be the second time in less than a month that they will address the issue head-on. The Brussels proposals are just one part of efforts being implemented by governments as they come to terms with the fact that the United States is no longer likely to back them.
Poland and the Baltic states have already increased their spending far beyond the NATO limit of two percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Lawmakers in economic powerhouse Germany on Tuesday took a big step towards a massive defense and infrastructure spending package proposed by Chancellor-elect Friedrich Merz.
An EU diplomat said the white paper captured the “danger and urgency” of the challenges facing the bloc but fell short of ways to increase funding. “Overall, there has been no big bang,” the diplomat said. But others argued that even if the proposals fell short of what some had hoped, the EU had still seen a revolution in the way it deals with defense in recent weeks. “It’s a good start,” said a second diplomat.
A key part of the EU’s proposal is not only to equip its military to face the Russian threat, but also to ensure that European defense companies are strengthened by investment. Von der Leyen said Brussels wanted countries to use the €150 billion programme to make more “joint purchases and more European purchases”.
She said 65 percent of the weapons purchased under the scheme would have to be of “European origin”. “If we invest these billions of euros in defense, it is important for us that we get a return on that investment in Europe,” she said.
