Andrius Kubilius, the European Defense Commissioner, on Wednesday, ahead of the EU leaders' summit, called on member countries to pay special attention to defense spending in their future long-term budget. He emphasized that otherwise, the European Union would face serious delays in its military strengthening.
Importance of Maintaining Defense Spending
Kubilius, in his speech at the "Europe Resilience Summit," said: "Please support the defense lines of the future budget." He added: "Otherwise, we will have fewer resources to build the necessary defense systems, and we will also be unable to create the necessary space infrastructure. This is quite clear."
His remarks come as EU leaders are set to discuss the long-term budget of the union for the years 2028 to 2034 on Thursday. In this context, the presidency of Ireland in the EU Council proposed a reduction of about 8 percent from the Commission's initial proposal last weekend to align with a group of countries led by Germany that are calling for major cuts.
Consequences of Budget Cuts
These cuts primarily affect key EU priorities such as competitiveness, defense, and foreign aid. Earlier this week, national representatives have somewhat reduced their commitment to reach an agreement on the budget by the end of the year.
Kubilius also warned: "If we have fewer resources to encourage member countries, we cannot change this situation, which is currently really not at the level we need, in terms of the indivisibility of European development." He emphasized the importance of adequate funding for defense strengthening and infrastructure development, as this issue is crucial for the future security of the European Union.
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