EU Pushes €131B Defense Plan to Close Gap With Russia’s War Production

The European Commission requested a €131 billion ($153.8) defense and space budget in its next funding cycle to match Russian military production and reduce reliance on the United States.

European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius told the European Parliament’s ITRE Committee that €131 billion is the “absolute bottom line” for the new European Competitiveness Fund (ECF). The parliament’s budget committee has proposed increasing the fund by an additional €30 billion ($35.2 billion).

Kubilius presented figures detailing the current production gap. Last year, Russia produced 1,100 cruise missiles compared to the EU’s 300, and 900 ballistic missiles while Europe produced none. Russian factories manufactured 4 million artillery shells and 3,500 infantry vehicles, outpacing the EU’s 2 million shells and 500 vehicles.

“If we really want to deter Russia, we need to outproduce Russia,” Kubilius stated.

To meet these goals, the Commission requested the swift passage of the Defence Readiness Omnibus to reduce bureaucracy. Kubilius cited current bottlenecks where defense firms wait up to four years for factory expansion permits or face months of customs delays to move co-produced military components between neighboring EU states.

Read more

Category

War in Ukraine

Russia’s War Spending Reaches Levels Rare in the Post-WWII Era, German Intelligence Says

Mar 03, 2026 16:02

The funding also targets European strategic independence. As Washington reduces its conventional defense role in Europe, the EU remains dependent on American capabilities, including space intelligence, secure satellite communications, heavy airlift, and air refueling. The Commission plans to invest in European space programs—such as Galileo, Copernicus, and IRIS²—to build these systems domestically.

Additionally, the Commission announced the AGILE initiative, a €115 million ($135 million) pilot program to deliver defense funding to SMEs and startups within four months. The program aims to supply new technologies to European armed forces by 2027.

Kubilius had previously stated that Russia could deploy between 7 million and 9 million drones in 2026. Measured in purchasing power parity, Moscow’s military spending currently equals about 85% of the entire European Union defense budget. As European officials plan for faster military production, they are also preparing to replace US intelligence support for Ukraine if Washington scales back its involvement.

France already supplies roughly two-thirds of the intelligence Ukraine relies on. While European capitals believe they can cover intelligence gaps within months, replacing American air defense, satellite surveillance, and strategic transport remains difficult.

Support our team with a one-time or monthly donation

Every day we bring reporting shaped by frontline realities. Your help makes us stronger.

SUPPORT