EU’s External Affairs Representative Kaja Kallas has warned member states that the social well-being of their citizens must not take a backseat to defense, and that they should increase arms production to counter the “Russian threat”. According to Kallas, Russia allocates 9% of its GDP to defense, while EU member states spend an average of 1.9% of their GDP on defense.
Kallas, a former Estonian Prime Minister, emphasized that “if we don’t invest in defense, everything we give to our schools, social benefits, and healthcare is at stake”. She also warned that Russia’s military industry produces a large quantity of tanks, missiles, and artillery, and that in three months, they can produce more weapons and ammunition than the EU can in a year.
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius echoed Kallas’ concerns, calling for a “big bang” in European military production, regardless of the cost. He believes that the EU can outdo Russia in terms of defense spending, production, and technology.
Kubilius, a former Lithuanian Prime Minister, praised the Ukrainian resistance against Russia, stating that “every rocket, every drone the Ukraine shoots down is one that does not threaten Europe, one that does not threaten NATO”.