EU High Representative for Security and Foreign Policy Kaja Kallas told MEPs about the scale of threats Russia poses to the EU and the world and why it is important to increase defence spending.
“Last year Russia spent more on defence than all EU countries combined. This year it is spending more on defence than on health, education and social policy combined. This is a long-term plan for long-term aggression,” Kallas said from the rostrum of the European Parliament during a debate on the NATO summit to be held in The Hague on 24-25 June.
Kallas stressed that while Ukraine is Europe’s first line of defence, NATO countries should significantly increase their defence budgets. She recalled that back in 2014, NATO allies agreed to invest 2% of GDP in defence, but the current geopolitical situation requires 5% already.
According to her, the EU has enough resources to meet these commitments – only through new financial mechanisms member states can mobilise up to 650 billion euros for defence over four years.
Describing the threats from Moscow, the EU High Representative recalled that Russia violates the airspace of EU countries, conducts provocative manoeuvres near borders, attacks infrastructure, in particular gas pipelines, power grids and submarine cables, and recruits criminals for sabotage.
Furthermore, she recalled the threats that Russia poses not only to Europe but also to global security.
“It supports the Assad regime, which has used chemical weapons against the Syrian people, arms and trains mercenaries from the Sahel to Sudan, uses a shadow fleet to illegally supply weapons to Libya in direct violation of the international embargo,” the EU’s top diplomat told the European Parliament.
Besides the need to increase investment in defence, sanctions need to be tightened, Kallas insisted. “Every sanction weakens Russia’s ability to wage war. Its sovereign fund was reduced by six billion euros last month alone,” she said.
Quoting NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Kallas emphasised: “if we don’t help Ukraine more – we will all have to learn Russian.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on 9 June that Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years. He called on alliance members to radically strengthen defence capabilities, including increasing NATO’s air and missile defence capabilities by 400 percent, to effectively counter threats from Russia.