Europe must 'wake up' to win arms race – NATO's Top Admiral
Photo: Pierre Vandier (Getty Images)
Europe needs to act faster and take more risks in defense. This can help in the new global arms race, stated Pierre Vandier, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) Admiral, in his interview with Politico.
"Europe can't win the future arms battle with the rules they've imposed on themselves today," he said.
According to him, European manufacturers are currently facing "over-compliance." However, the European Union must understand that to continue the arms race, the rules of the game need to be changed.
He believes that arms programs must be accelerated. Specifically, he pointed out that in France, frigates have been waiting for years for the necessary combat mode upgrades, while some US military ships can be modernized daily.
"If you want to stay in the arms race, change your rules," he emphasized.
Threat to NATO
Russian missiles and drones have repeatedly entered NATO airspace. In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that his country is ready to attack American, British, and French military targets. He made this statement after Ukraine received permission from its partners to strike Russian territory with the supplied missiles.
Meanwhile, Admiral Rob Bauer, chairman of NATO's Military Committee, claimed that Russia no longer poses the same level of threat to NATO as it did in February 2022. He believes that the quality of the Russian military has deteriorated.
