The countries of the European Union should jointly renew their stockpiles of armaments and should not rely only on the help of the United States, writes Reuters.
Jiri Sedivy, chief executive of the European Defence Agency, stated that Russia’s war in Ukraine shows Europe’s weaknesses. «It is important that we as the European Union become a reliable guarantor of security for our citizens,» Sedivy said and urged European countries not to rely solely on the United States.
«The United States is also inevitably involved in the developments of the Asia-Pacific region, so it will not always be able to supply things that are crucially necessary, such as aircraft, guided missiles, or air defense systems,» said Sedivy. He suggested taking into account the threat of terrorism and what is happening in the Middle East and North African countries.
The agency is in talks with European arms manufacturers to increase production capacity and encourages countries to cooperate in purchasing armaments.
Shedivy pointed out that Europe’s approach to defense is fragmented and incompatible equipment has often been purchased, making the overall armament a patchwork.
Since the Russian invasion in February, Ukrainian cities have been crushed into rubble and millions of people have become refugees.
European defense spending in 2021 exceeded 200 billion euros, which was a 6% increase compared to the previous year – the largest since the region began increasing its military budget after the annexation of Crimea. According to the European Parliament’s 2020 report, without US support, Europe would find it difficult to protect itself.
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