European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius has called for the urgent establishment of a European Security Council to enhance the EU’s ability to take swift decisions on defence and security matters.

Speaking at a conference in Sweden on Sunday, Kubilius said the council should address Europe’s most pressing security challenges, starting with the war in Ukraine. He proposed a structure including permanent and rotating members, alongside the presidents of the European Commission and European Council, and suggested the UK could participate on broader security issues.

The council, expected to include 10 to 12 members, would be tasked with quickly preparing key decisions. Kubilius warned that Europe faces two major strategic challenges: the threat from Russia and the United States shifting focus towards the Indo-Pacific region.

He noted that Russia’s military spending now amounts to around 85 per cent of the combined defence budgets of all EU member states, and said there were no indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks peace.

Kubilius added that Washington has called on Europe to assume greater responsibility for its own conventional defence, prompting the EU to launch its “Defence Readiness 2030” agenda. He concluded that Europe’s greatest weakness remains a lack of unity and stressed the need for coordinated action within NATO, even if the US reduces its military presence in Europe.

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