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German politicians rebuke Trump over NATO defence spending demand

US President-elect Donald Trump said NATO member states should increase their defence spending to 5% of GDP and criticised Europe's contributions.

Europe News

Lithuanian President touts 5% of GDP on defence in 'coming years'

EU leaders want to ramp up defence production and capacity but have so far been unable to agree on how to finance it.

Europe News

German defence minister says he wants to grow armed forces further

As threats to Western Europe grow more pressing, the German military has been having difficulty attracting enough recruits.

Europe News

EU Parliament political groups strike deal on four new committees

The mandates of the committees - which will scrutinise and report on legislative proposals - will now have to be voted on and given the final green light by the Parliament's plenary next Wednesday in Strasbourg.

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Europe News

NATO chief urges citizens to 'make sacrifices' to up defence spending

The 32 NATO allies are currently in discussion to increase the defence spending benchmark from the current 2% of GDP.

Europe News

EU seeks to reduce defence dependency on US over longer term

The EU will vow a 'strong transatlantic partnership' on defence, a senior Commission official said on Monday, but dependence on foreign suppliers will inevitably have to be addressed in the long term.

Europe News

Polish EU presidency to focus on energy, defence and economic security

With Trump's arrival in the US White House, a new EU Commission and the ongoing war in Ukraine, security in all its possible dimensions will be the main priority of the next rotating EU presidency, said Poland's Ambassador Agnieszka Bartol.

Climate

Why the world’s militaries have climate change in their crosshairs

Despite defence spending increasing in several national budgets, climate adaptation within the military is lagging behind.

Europe in Motion

Defence spending boost: Which EU countries are investing the most?

Largely fuelled by the war in Ukraine, EU member states' military spending peaked at €279 billion in 2023, with 2024 expected to hit €326 billion.

Europe News

EU 'defence bonds' cheaper if national budgets frontloaded: Kubilius

Andrius Kubilius is expected to draw up a White Paper on European Defence within his first three months in office, including ways to finance what he has described as a "big bang" in military spending.

Europe News

Russian defence spending rises to record high - a third of the budget

Next year, Moscow's spending on the military and security forces will exceed spending on health care, education and social policy combined

Business

US intelligence warns defence companies of Russian sabotage threat

US intelligence officials warned American defence companies on Thursday to increase security precautions following several acts of sabotage in Europe that officials have blamed on Russia.

Europe News

EU plans to boost air and missile defence with 18 member states

Nearly 20 EU member states have signed a letter of intent to step up cooperation and share the costs of developing common defence systems.

Europe News

Largest EU countries back joint defence bonds to stop Russia

The development followed Putin's signing of a revised nuclear doctrine that declared a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on the country.

Europe News

Europe’s new missile, warship projects get cautious thumbs-up

The European defence sector grew by a remarkable 17% last year – but is still calling for longer-term certainty as governments seek to invest in security.

Europe News

EU countries commit to joint drone, missile and warship development

Defence spending is set to reach €326 billion (1.9% of EU GDP) in 2024, but despite the increase in military spending, national efforts alone are not enough for the EU to be ready for high-intensity warfare, said outgoing top diplomat and EDA chief Josep Borrell.

Europe News

Euroviews. Si vis pacem, para bellum

Experts warn that Russia will be able to launch a full-scale attack on the EU and NATO within the next five years. Europe must finally take its security into its own hands, Andrzej Halicki and Andrius Kubilius write.

Markets

Why are European defence stocks skyrocketing after Trump's victory?

Trump's 2024 win and Republican control of Congress have spurred a surge in European defence stocks, as concerns over NATO funding and potential cuts in US military aid drive expectations that Europe will boost its defence spending.

Korea

North Korea finalises landmark defence pact with Russia

The deal is considered the biggest between the two countries since the end of the Cold War.

Europe News

Report: European countries are spending more on defence

The International Institute for Strategic Studies report says while defence spending is up, progress has been mixed and a lot still needs to be done to effectively counter threats from countries like Russia.