Andrius Kubilius on the urgency of strengthening European defence
Documentation
(nc) In a speech in Berlin in November 2024, the then Commissioner-designate for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, gave his views on urgent steps to strengthen
European defence. Kubilius warned that EU Member States urgently need to prepare for the possibility of Russian aggression against the Union. He outlined the important topics that should be included in a White Paper on Defence that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has asked him to draft in collaboration with the new EU High Representative Kaja Kallas.
Kubilius’ Berlin speech (excerpts):
“Until now the European Union was not considered an important player in European defence issues. However, this notion is changing. I will not elaborate on why the EU needs a Commissioner for Defence. Putin’s war against Ukraine provides the biggest share of answers to this question. Let’s concentrate instead on what the European Union needs, wants, and can do to strengthen European defence.
Until now it looked like European defence was a business for NATO and Member States only. But times are changing. For me, it is crystal clear – no matter the changes in our security environment, one thing will not change: the European Union has never competed, is not competing, and will not compete with NATO on European defence. […]
What the EU can do is to bring added value to assist EU Member States (that are also NATO members) in developing defence capabilities and defence resources needed for the implementation of NATO defence plans. The EU can do what NATO cannot: raise additional funds for defence and introduce new legal regulations, which can help Member States to develop their defence resources.
What are those capabilities and resources that the EU can help to develop and sustain? There are four types of defence resources, necessary for defence both before and during the course of a war:
- Defence equipment and services, including space services; they must be ready and available at the stage of preparation for defence.
- Trained military personnel, who could be mobilised in case of war.
- Military mobility and logistics.
- Military industry capability on European soil, able and ready to produce what is needed, located close to a frontline, if the war comes.
As things stand, we in Europe have some challenges with regard to all those capabilities and resources. To better understand those challenges, we need to look into threats to our security. […]
The mission letter, which I received from the Commission President, tasks me, together with High Representative Kaja Kallas, during the first 100 days of our mandate to prepare and publish a White Paper on European Defence. This White Paper shall define the measures to help Europe to ready itself for “the most extreme military contingencies”. […]
In the light of the low level of our preparedness, there are two strategic factors, that we need to have in mind when discussing Europe’s defence needs: firstly, we must urgently prepare ourselves for the possibility of Russian aggression against the EU; secondly, we need to prepare for a longer-term challenge, that the US will be forced to shift more and more from the defence of Europe towards mitigation of China’s rising military power. […]
Personally, I would like to see the upcoming White Paper to focus on the three most important blocks, where we need to come to an agreement on urgent common decisions, necessary to be implemented either to diminish the threats or to be ready to defend ourselves. Those 3 blocs should focus on:
- Our military support for the defence of Ukraine.
- Ramping up our defence industry production in order to meet NATO Capability Targets not until 2044, but by 2030.
- Defence financing – how will we finance the urgent needs of our defence preparedness.
[…]
Let me conclude by stressing again: we all are in the same boat – militaries, industries, CEOs and politicians, citizens of the EU, and citizens of Ukraine, all of us. And we find ourselves in very stormy waters.
So, either we row in a synchronised way and by joining all our forces to overcome the storms of today, or each one of us will stay alone at the mercy of the storms and our aggressive adversaries. […]”
