EU mulls boosting military spending, relying less on U.S.
Time:2024-04-30 22:06:29 Source:travelViews(143)
European Union officials want member states to significantly increase the bloc's armaments production rather than continue to rely on imports from the United States.
EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton has previously said that to compete with U.S. defense producers, Europe would need to spend about 100 billion euros ($110 billion).
"We need to change the paradigm and move into war economy mode," he said. "This also means that the European defense industry must take more risks, with our support."
The plan that Breton announced on Tuesday has earmarked an initial 1.5 billion euros from the current EU budget, which European Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager said was "not a lot of money".
But Vestager said it was a step toward a situation where the bloc could "take more responsibility" for its communal security, which may be affected by the outcome of the U.S. presidential election in November.
"We need to get that trans-Atlantic balance right, irrespective of electoral dynamics in the U.S.," she said, in a nod to Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump casting doubt on the U.S.' commitment to its NATO allies should he win the reelection, Agence France-Presse reported.
Breton said, "In the current geopolitical context, Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security, regardless of the outcome of our allies' elections every four years."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was defense minister in her native Germany before moving into European politics, has already said it would be "reasonable" to have a dedicated European defense commissioner in the future, and she would introduce one if she is reelected in the summer.
The comments came weeks after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz issued a similar call to European partners at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new munitions factory in the Saxony region, saying that "the painful reality is that we do not live in times of peace".
"We must move from manufacturing to mass production of armaments… those who want peace must be able to successfully deter aggressors," Scholz said.
Previous:AP WAS THERE: Mexico's 1938 seizure of the oil sector from US companies
Next:Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti apologizes for forgetting German on his Bayern Munich return
You may also like
- Gunnar Henderson becomes youngest player to hit 10 homers before May 1 as Orioles defeat Yankees 2
- Man charged with hate crime for vandalizing Islamic center at Rutgers, prosecutors say
- Bo Bichette has 3
- Phillies put hot
- 'The Tortured Poets Department' gets largest streaming week ever
- David Beckham gushes over his wife Victoria's age
- David Beckham gushes over his wife Victoria's age
- Tensions between Beijing, Washington biggest worry for US companies in China
- Horoscope today: Daily guide to what the stars have in store for YOU