The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, outlined on Tuesday four key priorities for European defense, warning that a new world order is taking shape and will be established in the second half of this decade.
She emphasized that Europe must be prepared to face the „inevitable” changes by rearming and developing capabilities to have credible deterrence.
Ursula von der Leyen warned in this context that Russia is preparing for a future confrontation with European democracies, while the United States, "Europe's oldest partner," is shifting its focus towards the Indo-Pacific region.
The President of the European Commission delivered a speech on Tuesday at the Royal Danish Military Academy in Copenhagen, in the presence of Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, where she praised the country's plans to increase defense spending and assured Denmark of the EU executive's support in its increasingly intense conflict with US President Donald Trump over Greenland.
"For all residents of Greenland - and of Denmark as a whole - I want it to be clear that Europe will always support sovereignty and territorial integrity. And in this complex context, I welcome the prime minister's decision to increase defense spending to 3% of GDP over the next two years. This is true leadership," stated the President of the European Commission.
The era of peace benefits has passed
"If Europe wants to avoid war, Europe must prepare for war," warned Ursula von der Leyen, stating that the three decades of peace since the fall of the Iron Curtain have ended, and the belief that such a state of affairs could have lasted was an illusion that led Europe to make mistakes, while Russia did nothing but prepare to pursue its imperial ambitions.
- Germany voted for a historic increase in defense spending
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- EU promises support for defense, but Ukraine remains without concrete commitments
"The truth is that I quickly became convinced that this truly exceptional period, during which we witnessed the fall of the Iron Curtain and the Berlin Wall, and entire countries and peoples were liberated, is a new norm. This led to underinvestment in defense and, frankly, to excessive complacency. Our adversaries used that period not only to regroup but also to challenge the rules governing global security.
And that brings me to today. The era of peace benefits has long passed. The security architecture on which we relied can no longer be taken for granted. The era of spheres of influence has truly returned. Let's take Russia as an example. We already know its decision to deny other countries the right to choose their own path. And now Russia is on an irreversible path to create a war economy. It has massively expanded its military-industrial production capacity. 40% of its federal budget is spent on defense. 9% of its GDP.
This investment fuels its aggression in Ukraine, while preparing for a future confrontation with European democracies. And as these threats grow, we see how our oldest partner - the United States - is shifting its focus towards the Indo-Pacific," stated Ursula von der Leyen.
"The idea is that we must see the world as it is - and we must act immediately to face it. Because a new international order will be shaped in the second half of this decade and beyond," continued the head of the European Commission.
"Readiness 2030" and four key priorities
"By 2030, Europe must have a strong defense position," she said, announcing that on Wednesday she will present a roadmap for the "Readiness 2030" strategy.
"Readiness 2030" means rearming and developing capabilities for credible deterrence. "Readiness 2030" means having a defense industrial base that represents a strategic advantage," explained von der Leyen.
She emphasized that member states will always retain responsibility for their own troops, from doctrine to deployment, and for defining requirements for their armed forces. "But many things are needed at the European level," added von der Leyen, who outlined four "key priorities."
"The first and most important priority is increasing defense spending," she stated. Defense spending by member states has now increased by over 31% compared to 2021. It's better - but not enough. They are still much lower than those of the US, Russia, and China, von der Leyen pointed out.
"The second point: what we invest in - and how we invest - is as important as how much we spend," von der Leyen emphasized. "We must address our capacity gaps. And we must do this in a European way. This means large-scale pan-European cooperation to address gaps in priority areas. This starts with fundamental elements such as infrastructure and military mobility."
The third priority for European defense is perhaps the most strategic and involves increasing support for Ukraine. "This is what we call the strategy of the steel porcupine. Because we must make Ukraine strong enough to be indigestible to potential invaders. So we must invest in Ukraine's strength. We have supported Ukraine with approximately 50 billion euros in military support alone and have trained over 73,000 Ukrainian troops. And our support for Ukraine's accession to the European Union remains as strong as ever," reassured Ursula von der Leyen.
The fourth priority, she stated, is strengthening Europe's defense industrial base, and here the head of the European Commission advocated for a "Buy European" program.
"Our industrial base still has structural weaknesses. It is not capable of producing defense systems and equipment in the quantities and at the speed that member states need. It remains too fragmented, with dominant national actors catering to domestic markets. We need to change this trend. This starts with investments in Europe. Currently, most investments in defense are made outside Europe. In other words: good jobs outside Europe. Research, development, and innovation outside Europe. This is not sustainable. We need to buy more European," pleaded the head of the European Commission.