“A lot has been done already, but we must do more. We need to do it better, stronger, faster – and we need to do it together,” European Council’s president Antonio Costa said after a summit on defence in Brussels.
European Union leaders agreed on Monday to enhance their defences against Russia and other threats through increased military spending and addressing capability gaps. However, they did not explain how they would finance such expenditures.
In response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, EU countries have raised their defence budgets significantly, driven by concerns about relying solely on the U.S. for protection. This shift was partly influenced by US President Donald Trump‘s demands for European NATO members to boost their defence spending.
The summit commenced amid Trump’s announcement of upcoming tariffs on EU imports, which followed similar measures against Canada, Mexico, and China. European leaders identified key areas for improvement, such as air and missile defence and military transport, but did not finalise funding strategies. The European Commission will seek flexibility in financial regulations to support defence spending. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also participated in the summit.
“Europe needs, basically, a surge in defence. And for that, our defence industrial base must be strengthened,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated after the summit. “For many, many years, we have under-invested in defence. Thus there’s a great urgency to increase the defence spending with a big magnitude,” she underlined.
Last year, EU countries spent an average of 1.9% of GDP on defence, totalling around 326 billion euros, a 30% increase from 2021. Many leaders emphasise the need for even more significant investment, with the Commission estimating an additional 500 billion euros may be needed over the next decade.
While Trump suggested NATO members should allocate 5% of their GDP to defence, no member currently meets this target. Leaders explored various financing options, including national budgets and private investments, but avoided the sensitive issue of issuing joint debt for defence. Von der Leyen also indicated she would consider relaxing EU debt regulations to accommodate increased defence spending, responding to Trump’s requests.
