“If Europe wants to avoid war, it must prepare for it,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her speech yesterday in Denmark. Europe must establish a “strong defensive posture” by 2030, she added. This will be the focus of the so-called White Paper on the future of European defense, which Brussels will present today.
“If Europe wants to avoid war, it must prepare for war,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in a speech at the Danish Military Academy in Copenhagen.
She emphasized that the security architecture on which Europe has relied can no longer be taken for granted. The era of spheres of influence and power competition is over, she said, highlighting Russia, which is establishing a “pure war economy.” Defense accounts for 40 percent of Russia’s budget, or nine percent of its GDP, Von der Leyen illustrated.
“This investment is directed toward its war in Ukraine, while it prepares for future confrontation with European democracies. And just as these threats are intensifying, our oldest partner – the United States (U.S.) – is shifting its focus to the Indo-Pacific region,” she said.
A new world order
“We must see the world as it is and act immediately to address it. The new world order will take shape in the second half of the decade and beyond,” added the Commission President. Therefore, Brussels will present a plan today that will enable the European Union (EU) to be ready by 2030, she announced.
One of the four key priorities of the so-called White Paper on the future of European defense will be increasing defense expenditures. To that end, the Commission has presented a plan expected to bring up to 800 billion euros in additional investments in European defense at the beginning of the month. Today, it will also publish proposals for the legal basis to implement the plan, which, among other things, includes establishing a new financial instrument worth up to 150 billion euros.
The second priority will be strengthening cooperation between member states in investing in key areas, including infrastructure and military mobility.
Among the goals of the White Paper will be increasing aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. The EU and its member states have provided Kyiv with nearly 50 billion euros in military aid over three years of war, but according to Von der Leyen, they can do much more.
