EU's Strategic Defence Shift: Strengthening Europe's Security

The European Commission is urging EU countries to agree on urgent defence needs to launch large-scale pan-European projects. A draft white paper highlights Russia's threats and the necessity for Europe to boost its defence autonomously, emphasizing critical areas like air defence, cyber warfare, and military infrastructure.

The European Commission is calling on EU member states to urgently address their most critical defence needs to facilitate the initiation of large-scale pan-European defence projects. According to a draft white paper seen by Reuters, this move is a response to growing fears of Russian aggression and uncertainty surrounding the U.S. security guarantee.

The document, set for release next week, asserts that Europe is facing an unprecedented security threat, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. It stresses that Europe cannot continue to rely solely on U.S. protection and must substantially increase its contribution to NATO, the transatlantic security alliance.

The white paper reiterates recent proposals by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which were backed by EU leaders at a summit, to expedite defence spending. It pinpoints areas such as missile defence, drones, and cyber warfare where capability gaps exist, suggesting collaborative approaches to bridge these gaps through pan-European projects, given their complexity and cost.

(With inputs from agencies.)