Ursula von der Leyen’s assessment was presented to EU heads of government and state meeting in Brussels on Thursday for a debate on European security and defence.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, estimated this Thursday the defense needs of the European Union (EU) at 500 billion euros for the next decade, however, leaving open how this financing would be achieved.
The estimate was presented to EU heads of government and state who are meeting in Brussels on Thursday for a debate on European security and defence in the coming years, and Von der Leyen then indicated that “500 billion euros would be needed for the defence sector in the next decade”, according to senior European officials interviewed by the Lusa agency.
“TO The problem is that we don’t know how to finance this.“added the same sources, familiar with the discussion.
Given a volume of defense investment lower than that of countries like Russia and China, Ursula von der Leyen also estimated a deficit of 400 billion euros at current prices, if there are no more funds for this sector.
“A lot of support” in the European Union for the joint defense debt
In this debate on security and defense in the European Council, the president of the European Commission (who is seeking a second term at the head of the institution) said that, in the current Multiannual Financial Framework until 2027, Only around 11.5 billion euros are earmarked for defence activities.to which must be added 11 billion related to the European Peace Support Mechanism and other funds for the defense industry, according to the same sources.
Other sources heard by Lusa indicated that, for example, the Germans did not want to point out specific figures in this discussion, so there are two points of view in the EU on the matter: that Europe cannot continue at the point it was at when Russia invaded of Ukraine, in February 2022, and that it is necessary to improve industrial capacities.
Source: Observadora
