European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has called for a massive boost in defense spending, proposing that EU member states allocate approximately $840 billion to strengthen the bloc’s military capabilities—more than double its total defense expenditure in 2024, reports RT.
Speaking on Tuesday, von der Leyen described the current geopolitical climate as the "most dangerous of times," warning of "grave" threats facing Europe. She announced that she had sent a letter outlining her "ReArm Europe Plan" to EU leaders ahead of this week’s European Council meeting.
“ReArm Europe could mobilize close to €800 billion ($840 billion) for a safe and resilient Europe,” she said. “This is a moment for Europe. And we are ready to step up.”
Official data shows that EU defense spending reached approximately $344 billion in 2023, marking a 30% increase since 2021. The new proposal includes $158 billion in loans for member states to invest in what von der Leyen described as “pan-European capability domains,” focusing on air and missile defense, artillery systems, drones, and ammunition.
The five-part strategy also aims to address the immediate need to support Ukraine, though von der Leyen did not provide a specific timeline for implementation. She emphasized that spending must increase “urgently now but also over a longer period over this decade.”
Her announcement comes as the EU faces mounting uncertainty over US security commitments. Just hours before von der Leyen’s statement, reports surfaced that US President Donald Trump had paused military aid to Ukraine. Trump has repeatedly accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky of refusing to negotiate peace with Russia and misusing US support.
The EU has long relied on US military backing, primarily through NATO, but Trump’s administration has signaled a shift in policy, urging European nations to take greater responsibility for their own defense. Last month, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that Washington was refocusing its military priorities on countering China, cautioning European allies not to assume American forces would remain in the region indefinitely.
Trump has previously threatened that the US would not defend NATO countries failing to meet their financial commitments and has floated the idea of raising mandatory defense spending to 5% of GDP—far above the current threshold, which even the US does not meet.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
