Europe urgently needs to rearm and member states must be given the fiscal space to carry out a surge in defence spending, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday after a meeting about support for Ukraine.
Von der Leyen added that Europe also needed to show the United States that it was ready to defend democracy.
"After a long time of underinvestment, it is now of utmost importance to step up the defence investment for a prolonged period of time," she told reporters after the meeting in London.
"Member states need more fiscal space to do a surge in defence spending."
Read next
10:32
EU President Ursula von der Leyen and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates agreed to launch negotiations on a free trade agreement. Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič will soon visit the UAE to take the talks forward.
18:35
The European Union is prepared to retaliate against U.S. tariffs but prefers a negotiated resolution, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. She warned that U.S. tariffs would fuel inflation and harm jobs while urging the EU to remove internal trade barriers.
15:09
EU Commission and the High Representative have introduced a White Paper on European Defence – Readiness 2030 along with an ambitious defence package, offering financial tools to support EU Member States in boosting investments in defence capabilities.
17:31
EU-CENTRAL ASIA
The President of the European Council, António Costa, along with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, will be travelling to Uzbekistan for the first-ever EU-Central Asia summit in April.
19:59
Ursula von der Leyen has secured a second term as European Commission president following European Parliament approval. Her team faces major challenges, including U.S. tensions, the Ukraine war, climate action, and EU enlargement.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment