Von der Leyen urges EU to ramp up defense spending to counter Russian aggression
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (Photo: Getty Images)
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has emphasized the need for the European Union to boost defense spending in light of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, Tagesschau reports.
"Russia spends up to 9% of its economic output on defense, while the EU spends only 1.9%. Something is wrong with this equation, and our defense spending must increase," von der Leyen said while discussing the European Parliament's plans for the next five years.
According to her, this requires strengthening the defense industry and advancing joint European defense projects.
US President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly stressed that Europe must take a more active role in ensuring its own security, especially amid Russia’s large-scale military aggression against Ukraine.
Furthermore, on November 19, it was revealed that several EU countries had signed letters of intent aimed at jointly developing specific types of weaponry.
