In his first interview as the EU’s Defense and Space Commissioner, Andrius Kubilius pushed for a dramatic increase in defense spending. He called for the EU’s next seven-year budget to allocate nearly €100 billion exclusively for defense—a tenfold increase from the current €10 billion in the existing €1 trillion budget. “
“We need to be ready for the possibility of Russian aggression,” Kubilius said, emphasizing the threat Russia poses to European security, especially if Ukraine fails to hold its ground.
Historically, defense was something Brussels avoided getting too involved in. But, as expected, the war in Ukraine has forced a shift in this thinking. Kubilius, a hawkish former prime minister of Lithuania, now oversees the EU’s fragmented defense industry, pushing for more spending, enhanced military aid to Ukraine, and stronger cooperation within NATO.
Yet, funding this ambitious plan won’t be easy. Kubilius is advocating for a massive increase in the EU budget and possibly joint debt issuance or loosening investment rules for arms manufacturing. He’s also pushing for defense spending to be exempt from the EU’s fiscal deficit limits, which currently penalize countries for overspending. Countries like Italy, Greece, and Poland would likely need to incur more debt to meet these defense demands. “In a crisis, we must have flexibility on spending,” Kubilius argued.
The EU’s new €1.5 billion initiative to boost arms production is also tangled in debates. Some member states push for protectionist “Buy European” policies, but Kubilius insists that securing arms from the U.S. and other partners is necessary. “Protectionism is not the way forward,” he stated.
Kubilius sees NATO’s upcoming report on military gaps as the blueprint for the EU’s defense priorities. With a need for 49 new brigades, 1,500 tanks, and 1,000 artillery pieces, Europe, he insists, must prepare for war. As authoritarian regimes like Russia, Iran, and China grow closer, Europe must unite and strengthen its defenses.
