Rearmament against Russia: Report on EU's defense readiness reveals gaps

A recently released report on the EU's defense readiness has revealed significant gaps, according to Foreign Affairs Commissioner Kaja Kallas. While considerable progress has been made and defense investments have increased, Kallas acknowledged that major gaps in defense capabilities still need to be addressed. She did not provide specific details at the time.

However, the report's authors highlighted critical deficiencies in areas such as air defense, drones, and munitions stocks. Experts argue that current efforts to close these gaps are insufficient to significantly strengthen Europe's defense readiness by 2030, with the ultimate goal of deterring any Russian aggression against an EU state.

The German government points to progress, with Defense State Secretary Sebastian Hartmann noting that in the past, Europe believed it could handle new security threats with minimal defense spending, limited innovation, and inadequate cooperation. He called on other EU nations to substantially boost their defense budgets, as Germany has done, asking, "Why should the European defense industry build capacity if European states do not demonstrate a clear demand for such products?"

While there are encouraging signals, Hartmann believes more can be done. The annual defense report, produced by the European Defense Agency in collaboration with the Commission and the EU Foreign Affairs Commissioner, is expected to discuss progress at the upcoming heads of state and government summit. Kallas emphasized the need to focus on closing the existing gaps.