On Wednesday, Parliament adopted a resolution with 419 votes in favour, 204 against, and 46 abstentions. The resolution calls on the EU to urgently ensure its security. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) emphasise the need to strengthen relationships with like-minded partners while significantly reducing reliance on non-EU countries.
A “White Paper” on the future of European defence, which the Commission and the High Representative are expected to present next week, should propose concrete actions to the European Council for “truly ground-breaking efforts” and measures akin to those taken during wartime. MEPs also welcomed the recently proposed ReArm plan. They argue that to achieve peace and stability in Europe, the EU must support Ukraine while enhancing its own resilience.
The resolution states, “Europe is currently facing the most profound military threat to its territorial integrity since the end of the Cold War.” It urges member states, international partners, and NATO allies to remove all restrictions on the use of Western weapons supplied to Ukraine against military targets in Russia. According to the resolution, Russia—supported by its allies Belarus, China, North Korea, and Iran—poses “the most significant direct and indirect threat against the EU.”
MEPs voiced concerns about the recent actions and statements from the Trump administration, which have raised doubts about the future US stance toward Russia, NATO, and European security. They also strongly condemned US threats against Greenland.
In this context, Parliament stresses that EU defence efforts “cannot remain limited in size, fragmented in scope, and slow in delivery.” MEPs are calling for increased efforts not only in the military sector but also in the industrial, technological, and intelligence fields. They assert that the EU must streamline its administrative processes to enable quicker actions in case of war or major security crises.
While acknowledging the importance of EU-NATO cooperation, MEPs advocate for establishing a capable European pillar in NATO that can act autonomously when necessary. They believe the EU must define a united and clear long-term vision for its defence industry and call for a significant increase in joint equipment procurement among EU member states.
Furthermore, they insist on simplifying decision-making processes related to European defence. They support the creation of a council of defence ministers and propose shifting from unanimous to qualified majority voting for EU decisions in this area, except for military operations with an executive mandate.
Parliament warns that without a substantial increase in investment, the EU will not meet its security and defence objectives, whether for military support to Ukraine or for improving overall European security. MEPs highlight that “urgent needs cannot wait for the next multiannual financial framework” and call for “innovative solutions to find additional funding without delay,” such as introducing a system of European defence bonds to finance large-scale military investments.
