European Union (EU) leaders agreed to do more to increase defence capabilities and defence spending, and fill gaps in military capabilities against threats.
Amid growing concerns about regional security and global instability, the EU, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the UK held an informal summit in Brussels on February 3 to discuss the continent's defense future.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (from left) attend a press conference in Brussels (Belgium) on February 3, 2025.
At the meeting, EU leaders focused on the military capabilities they need in the coming years, how to finance them and ways to boost intra-bloc cooperation through joint projects. EU leaders agreed to focus on filling key gaps in their defence systems such as air and missile defence, missiles, ammunition and military transport, European Council President Antonio Costa said after the meeting.
According to Reuters, EU leaders have agreed on the goal, but have yet to make decisions on how to implement it and the specifics. Currently, many European countries do not have enough public financial budgets to spend large amounts on defense.
"A lot has been done but we need to do more. We need to do better, we need to do stronger, we need to do faster and we need to do it together," Mr Costa stressed.
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After the conference, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: "Europe fundamentally needs to strengthen its defense. To do that, our defense industrial base must be strengthened. For many years, we have underinvested in defense. Therefore, a large increase in defense spending is urgently needed."
Speaking after the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that his country would double its defense budget in the near future and called on other EU leaders to increase military spending as well. Macron said recent moves by the Trump administration were pushing the EU toward greater unity and a more proactive role in addressing collective security challenges.
The meeting took place in the context of Europe facing many challenges as the Russia-Ukraine conflict has not ended. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has asked European countries to spend more on their own defense and rely less on the US through NATO.
In 2024, EU countries spent an average of 1.9% of their GDP on defense, or about 326 billion euros ($334.48 billion). But many EU leaders say they will need to spend much more. The European Commission estimates that the bloc could need to spend an additional 500 billion euros over the next decade to fill critical gaps in its defense.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/gioi-lanh-dao-chau-au-cam-ket-tang-manh-chi-tieu-quoc-phong-giua-bat-on-185250204090258476.htm
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