Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 marked a tectonic shift in how Europe views security and defence
Few would dispute that the war raging on European soil has fundamentally altered the way the EU looks at defence and security but not everybody is convinced that a massive spending increase is the right fix.
While some see the €131 billion dedicated to defence in the next multi-annual EU budget as a necessary response to a more dangerous geopolitical reality, others warn that the EU risks changing not only how it spends its money, but also how it is perceived at home and abroad.
The European Commission’s plan feels like a course en avant, or sprint, Laëtitia Sédou from the European Network Against Arms Trade (ENAAT) told Euractiv, “a race to do more without really necessarily taking the time to reflect”.
Sédou questioned whether the Commission had properly assessed the outcomes of the EU’s earlier and existing defence programmes before proposing a major expansion in spending, warning that a larger cash envelope alone would not solve structural issues related to coordination or fragmented joint procurement.
