EU targets full strategic autonomy and major defense overhaul

The heads of state and government of the EU met in Brussels to discuss ways to strengthen Europe's strategic autonomy and enhance its defense capabilities. They recognized Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine as an existential challenge for the European Union.

This is stated in the conclusions of the Special European Council on defense, with the full document published on the European Council’s website, CE Report quotes Ukrinform.

"Recalling the Versailles Declaration of March 2022 and the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence, the European Council stresses that Europe must become more sovereign, more responsible for its own defence and better equipped to act and deal autonomously with immediate and future challenges and threats with a 360° approach. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its repercussions for European and global security in a changing environment constitute an existential challenge for the European Union," the document states.

In this context, EU leaders agreed to deploy all necessary tools and financial resources to strengthen the security of the European Union and protect its citizens. To achieve this, the EU aims to enhance overall defense readiness, reduce strategic dependence on third countries, address critical gaps in defense capabilities, and develop technological and industrial bases. These measures will also contribute to Europe's global competitiveness.

The European Council welcomed the European Commission's initiatives to grant member states greater fiscal flexibility, particularly in utilizing defense-related exemptions from the EU Stability and Growth Pact, and to implement other budgetary measures to increase national defense spending.

"The European Council… takes note of the intention of the Commission to put forward a proposal for a new EU instrument to provide Member States with loans backed by the EU budget of up to EUR 150 billion, and invites the Council to examine this proposal as a matter of urgency," the document states.

EU leaders also welcomed the European Investment Bank's plans to expand credit support for the defense industry and defense-related projects. They stressed the importance of attracting private sector financing for these purposes.

"The European Council… identifies the following first list of priority areas for action at EU level in the field of capabilities taking into account the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, in accordance with the work already done in the framework of the European Defence Agency and in full coherence with NATO: air and missile defence; artillery systems, including deep precision strike capabilities; missiles and ammunition; drones and anti-drone systems; strategic enablers, including in relation to space and critical infrastructure protection; military mobility; cyber; artificial intelligence and electronic warfare," the European Summit's conclusions state.

EU leaders emphasized that strengthening the bloc's defense capabilities would positively impact global and transatlantic security while complementing NATO’s capabilities, which remain the foundation of collective defense.

They also expressed expectations for the creation of a White Paper on the Future of European Defense, which will include elements and options for further increasing European defense funding and strengthening the continent’s technological and industrial base.

The European Council will revert to these issues at its March and June meetings.