Belgium, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) The EU Defence Agency (EDA) has called for joint arms procurement to top up stocks depleted by sending weapons to Ukraine since the start of the war.
EDA head Jiří Šedivý, Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to NATO, warned that the US may not be able to protect the EU from threats, stressing the importance of joint procurement, according to Reuters reporting on Friday.
“The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine demonstrates our capability shortfalls,” he stated and pointed out that the EDA is discussing the possibility of increasing production with EU weapons manufacturers.
The EDA was established in 2004 to facilitate and promote Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) integration in the bloc and help EU member states to strengthen their militaries.
Šedivý stressed the importance of joining forces to buy more weapons and ammunition and pointed out that the move would allow the EU “to become a credible provider of security in protecting citizens.”
He reminded that the US, under former President Donald Trump, urged EU countries to invest more in their defence, stressing that the bloc should heed the warning.
Šedivý’s expectations
“The US will be inevitably engaged in Asia Pacific and not be able to provide some of the essential enablers such as strategic airlift, reconnaissance aircraft, precision-guided missiles and air defences,” Šedivý stated.
He added that failed states and terrorism in North Africa and the Middle East present threats, while millions of Ukrainians have been displaced since the start of the war there, which Moscow calls a “special military operation,” while Kiev and its NATO allies describe it as “an unprovoked war of aggression.”
Military spending in the EU exceeded 200 billion euro in 2021, when bloc members upped their arms purchases approximately 6% compared to 2020, in contrast with US military spending of roughly USD 800 billion.
The EU stopped decreasing its military spending in mid-2010s.
According to a 2020 report of the EU Parliament, the bloc would not be able to defend itself without US help because it lacks reconnaissance aircraft, intelligence, medium-range missile defence, submarines and amphibious warfare capabilities, among other.
