The EU Commissioner for Defense and Space gave an interview to Euronews on the sidelines of a specialized exhibition in Athens. He did not hide his concern that Russia is outpacing the Euroblock in the production of certain types of weapons.
Amid new geopolitical challenges and security demands, Europe is moving from words to action, said EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius in an interview with Euronews. He answered questions on the sidelines of the DEFEA defense exhibition in Athens, describing the changes facing his sector as "comprehensive." "We see serious problems in the Mediterranean region due to the war in Iran and the destabilization of the Middle East. We see them on our eastern flank due to Russia's war against Ukraine. Problems have also arisen because the Americans have clearly stated in their strategies that they will reduce their presence on the European continent; they want Europe to take primary responsibility for conventional defense," he explained.
In this context, Kubilius emphasized the need to accelerate European defense capabilities, noting that circumstances leave no room for delay: "In such an environment, we certainly need to accelerate our defense readiness. We are already doing a lot, and Greece is showing good examples of this."
Commenting on the crisis of transatlantic partnership, the commissioner highlighted the importance of Europe gaining autonomy and efficiency in security matters against the backdrop of neighboring Russia continuing to strengthen its defense industry. "This is one of the alarming facts: Russia is still ahead of us in production in several areas. Therefore, we must produce more," the commissioner believes. "And we have much to learn from Ukraine.
For example, we need to transition from 'haute couture' in the defense industry, which refers to advanced but expensive and difficult-to-scale products, to simply producing adequately high-quality goods."
In conclusion, the commissioner also touched on the issue of European citizens' attitudes towards strengthening EU defense, noting that there is strong support for this trend in society. "Surveys indicate that respondents consider strengthening European defense as one of the strategic priorities. It would be good if national leaders heard this, guiding their countries and Europe as a whole towards a new defense readiness that must be achieved very soon."
