EU defense preparedness report reveals gaps

Armament against Russia

EU defense preparedness report reveals gaps

Is the EU preparing quickly enough for a possible military conflict with Russia? A new defense readiness analysis reveals vulnerabilities.

A new report on the EU’s defense preparedness reveals significant deficits, according to foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. A lot has already been done and investments in defense have increased, said Kallas during discussions on the analysis at a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels. At the same time, however, there are still large gaps in defense capabilities that need to be closed.

Kallas did not initially provide any details. However, according to information from the German Press Agency, the authors of the report see, for example, significant gaps in air defense, drones and ammunition stocks. Efforts to close these are not described as being sufficient to significantly strengthen Europe’s defense preparedness by 2030 as planned. The aim is to be so strong militarily that… Russia does not dare to attack an EU state.

German Defense State Secretary Sebastian Hartmann said, man
comes from a time when Europe believed that it could meet new security threats with little defense spending, little innovation and little cooperation. He called on other EU states to significantly increase their defense spending, like Germany.

“Why should the European defense industry build up capacities if European states do not make it clear that they will purchase corresponding products?” said the defense minister on behalf of the defense minister Boris Pistorius State Secretary who traveled to Brussels. There are good signals, but we can go one step further.

Hartmann also pointed out that the report, which will be prepared annually in the future, will also document progress. He cited the area of ​​maritime capabilities, military mobility and land combat as examples. The report, prepared by the European Defense Agency with the support of the Commission and the EU foreign policy chief, will be discussed in the next step at the autumn summit of heads of state and government. Kallas said that we now have to concentrate on actually closing the existing gaps.