The only way Europe can convince Russian President Vladimir Putin “not to even think about any kind of aggression,” is by ramping up its defense production, the EU’s first-ever Commissioner for Defense and Space has told TVP World.
Andrius Kubilius, who previously served as Lithuania’s prime minister from 1999 to 2000, said that Russian defense spending far outpaces Europe’s current efforts, citing reports that suggest that Moscow could surpass the entire EU’s annual defense production in just three months.
He said that this alarming gap calls for an urgent need for the EU to bolster its defense capabilities, adding: “We need to ramp up the development of our capabilities to defend ourselves.”
Kubilius also stressed the importance of increased defense spending on the part of NATO, saying: “I hope that next year during the NATO summit, there will be a clear decision that NATO [defense] spending target should be not 2%, but maybe 3%.”
He added: “If we are increasing 1% of spending for defense on the whole EU level, it means 200 billion additional funds…That is a possibility which would allow us to start investing into the defense industry now, not in the next ten years.”
“We need to start to invest now,” Kubilius said, adding that it is the only way Europe can convince Putin “not to even think about any kind of aggression.”
Click on the video above to watch the full interview.
He said that this alarming gap calls for an urgent need for the EU to bolster its defense capabilities, adding: “We need to ramp up the development of our capabilities to defend ourselves.”
Kubilius also stressed the importance of increased defense spending on the part of NATO, saying: “I hope that next year during the NATO summit, there will be a clear decision that NATO [defense] spending target should be not 2%, but maybe 3%.”
He added: “If we are increasing 1% of spending for defense on the whole EU level, it means 200 billion additional funds…That is a possibility which would allow us to start investing into the defense industry now, not in the next ten years.”
“We need to start to invest now,” Kubilius said, adding that it is the only way Europe can convince Putin “not to even think about any kind of aggression.”
Click on the video above to watch the full interview.
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