The European Union defense requires a big bang

« The EU’s defense requires a » big bang « , and we can no longer achieve what we need on the road by step by step, » he said on Thursday.

A. Kubilius participated in the discussion « The White Book of the Future of Europe » in the Lithuanian Parliament.

“We have a responsibility for your defense to move on your shoulders”

The Commissioner said that the foundation of the day for the EU’s work is an old wisdom, that if you want peace, you have to prepare for war.

« In three months, Russia produces more weapons than all NATO countries, including the US, a year, » Kubilius said.

According to him, this year Russia promises to allocate more funds for military purposes than the EU countries will allocate the joint defense.

« Understanding such a situation and hearing intelligence warnings (…) that Russia may not only be ready to be planned to be planned to check the NATO fifth article at the moment by 2030, these are things that are very clearly formulated how we need to respond to such challenges and to our security or defense. »

According to him, the changing priorities of the United States must also be taken into account.

« We all understand that the US, despite all our emotions or other explanations, will pay more and more attention to the growing power of China, and will have to pay more and more of our resources to ensure security. Naturally, we need to plan that America’s participation in our safety for such reasons can decline consistently, » Kubilius said.

« Because of that, we have a responsibility for our defense to move on our shoulders, » the Commissioner added.

« 450 million Europeans should not be angry or angry that 340 million Americans, with their agenda and their challenges, will not always be able to help us defend our 140 million population of Russia, which cannot overcome 28 million inhabitants of Ukraine over three years, » he said.

Andrew Kubilius. Photo by R. Riabov / BNS

Commission proposals

According to A. Kubilius, the European Commission has already developed a strategy for the preparation until 2030.

He said the NATO Summit in June is expected to be approved by new EU capabilities, which will become the foundation of the European Commission to plan further activities with the help of Member States to achieve those goals.

Kubilius emphasized that the EU plans to strengthen military capabilities in no way compete with NATO’s plans.

“We have to realize that (Russian President Vladimir – BNS) Putin will not be able to disconnect him with the white book that has read or wakes him, so the most important job will continue to work. Only the real numbers of our production – tanks, artillery, drones – can be discouraged. The most important thing is the implementation, ”he said.

The Commissioner pointed out that in the so -called white book, Ukraine’s defense is an integral part of Europe’s defense. It is planned to buy more weapons from Ukraine and to provide it as support to the army of this state.

The EU’s defense requires a « big bang », and we can no longer achieve what we need on the road by step by step.

By mentioning the practical steps of the European Commission, Mr Kubilius stated that the SAFE program regulation, according to which the parties would be able to be $ 150 billion. euros for preferential loans.

It is also planned to allow Member States to 1.5 %. not to read the budget deficit of a gross domestic product issued for defense.

« The EU creates opportunities for Member States for the additional costs of about EUR 800 billion in the next four years. (…) We are only talking about additional costs here. After calculating costs that Member States can allocate funds over the next four years. For four years, € 2.4.

An example is Ukraine

He emphasized that Europe must significantly increase the volume of the military industry, and as an example of how it can be done in a relatively short period of time, Ukraine said.

According to A. Kubilius, in the last three years, the Ukrainian defense industry has increased 35 times and the weapon they produce is of good quality and much cheaper.

« If EU countries should be involved in the war in Ukraine, our resources would not withstand what we have for a long time, » said Kubilius, emphasizing the need to find ways to greatly increase mass conventional production – artillery, drones, missiles and so on.

According to the Euroca Commissioner, the White Book also provides for strengthening the capacity of strategic enablers – such as space intelligence data, heavy cargo aviation transportation, refueling in the air and other important things to the military.

« We are very and very dependent on transatlantic partners on this issue, and we have to speed up our affairs in this field, » he said.

It is also planned to develop defense projects involving co -European interests – such as the air defense panel, cyber defense panel, space defense panel.

It was decided to strengthen the defense in Europe after Russia began a broad -scale war in Ukraine in February 2022 and US President Donald Trump (Donald Trump) in terms of greater European contribution to his defense.

Last week, the publicly presented white book provides solutions to eliminate critical capacity gaps and create a solid industrial defense base, offered ways to invest more in defense, buy the defense systems and increase the European Defense Industry preparations in the long term.