NATO and EU urge faster weapons production in Europe
Photo: Mark Rutte and Ursula von der Leyen (Getty Images)
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for an accelerated ramp-up of arms production in Europe following talks in Brussels, according to Deutsche Welle.
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Call to accelerate defense production
After the meeting in Brussels, Ursula von der Leyen writes on X that Europe needs to invest more and ramp up arms production at a faster pace.
According to her, this concerns not only volume but also the speed of production.
Support for Ukraine and infrastructure security
Mark Rutte reports that during the consultations, special attention was paid to further assistance for Ukraine in repelling the Russian invasion, as well as the protection of critical infrastructure.
He emphasizes that EU-NATO cooperation in these areas is of key importance, noting that a stronger Europe means a stronger NATO.
NATO summit preparations
The parties also discussed the upcoming Alliance summit, scheduled for July. According to von der Leyen, amid growing global threats, the EU and NATO agreed to closely coordinate their actions in the coming weeks to strengthen cooperation and prepare for a successful meeting in Ankara.
Production rates issue
Against the backdrop of NATO allies' decisions to increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP and an additional 1.5% for related needs, the European Union has also approved a defense industry investment program totaling approximately €800 billion for the coming years.
However, despite the increase in funding, the key problem remains the insufficient pace of arms production.
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