Andrius Kubilius (Photo: EPA)

European armies have only half the capacity required by NATO. About said european Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius in an interview with Euractiv.

According to Kubilius, European armies "have 50% of what they should have now according to NATO goals."

Disable ads
Disable ads
Read also
It seems that the West has learned to speak to the Kremlin in a language Putin understands

The European Commission is planning to spend heavily on defense and is encouraging countries to borrow together to strengthen their military procurement programs through initiatives such as SAFE, which aims to mobilize €150 billion in loans, Kubilius said.

The European Commissioner noted that almost 40% of the EU's defense budgets are spent on the purchase of American-made weapons. A year ago, this figure was about 60%.

"I cannot imagine that we will no longer buy American weapons, but a 10% or 20% reduction in this figure means that a huge amount of money will be left for European industry," Kubilius said.

He believes that joint military procurement between EU countries can reduce costs.

Disable ads

"If member states go for joint procurement, which means larger contracts, the average production price is reduced by up to 70%," the European Commissioner said.

According to him, some mergers are already underway in the European defense industry, and further consolidation could help make the sector more competitive on a global level.

The European Commissioner plans to promote plans to create a European defense union, which will include Norway, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine.

It should also inform the leaders of the bloc about what they need to do by 2030 to ensure that their armed forces are ready for war.