The United States cannot always protect Europe from threats, and EU countries should jointly purchase weapons to replenish their stocks after deliveries to Ukraine.
As Jiri Sedivy, executive director of the European Defense Agency (EDA), said, “Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine has revealed the insufficiency of our capabilities.”.
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According to him, the agency is negotiating with companies that produce weapons to increase their production, as well as with all EU countries to join efforts to purchase weapons..
“The United States will inevitably become involved in the problems of the Indo-Pacific region and will not be able to provide us with some of the most important means of support, such as strategic airlift, reconnaissance aircraft, precision-guided missiles and air defense capabilities,” Sedivi said..
He also pointed to the threat of terrorism from failed states in the Middle East or North Africa..
Europe now has a fragmented approach to defense, with countries largely equipping their own armed forces, creating a patchwork of incompatible weapons and equipment..
The war in Ukraine has become the region's biggest problem in a generation, exposing deep divisions over how to deal with Moscow..
Tens of thousands were killed, millions were displaced, and cities were left in ruins after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.
European defense spending topped 200 billion euros for the first time in 2021, up 6% year-on-year, the highest since the region began increasing military spending in 2015 following Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
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According to a 2020 European Parliament report, without US help, the EU will find it difficult to defend itself, as it lacks intelligence capabilities and capabilities, in particular air and medium-range missile defense, as well as amphibious assault ships and submarines..
European defense spending tops 200 billion euros for the first time in 2021. This is a 6% increase over the previous year and the highest since 2015..