Acceleration of Ukraine's EU Membership and Surge in European Defence Spending Announced by European Commission President in Munich

Europe should undoubtedly take more care of its own security and significantly increase defence spending. This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in her speech at the Munich Security Conference.

 ‘Both the EU and the US want to stop the bloodshed. We want a just and lasting peace that will lead to a sovereign and prosperous Ukraine. And Ukraine must be provided with credible security guarantees,’ von der Leyen said.

She added that when it comes to European security, Europe must do more. According to her, it is necessary to identify a purely European approach to addressing the issue of strengthening defence and security, to focus efforts and resources on achieving the goal, as it was during the pandemic. This includes the development and implementation of joint defence projects that will increase coordination and cooperation between member states, as well as the efficiency of defence spending.

‘Europe needs to bring more to the table. And to achieve this, we need a surge in European defence spending. Currently, 27 EU countries spend about 2% of GDP on defence. And yes, our defence spending has increased from just over €200 billion before the war to over €320 billion last year. But we will have to increase this number significantly again. Because from just below 2% to above 3% would mean hundreds of billions in additional investment every year. So, we need a bold approach,’ said the President of the European Commission.

Firstly, von der Leyen said she would propose to activate the default avoidance clause for defence investments. This will allow member states to significantly increase their defence spending. 

‘Of course, we will do this in a controlled manner and under certain conditions. And we will also offer a wider package of individual instruments to address the specific situation of each of our member states. From the current level of their defence spending to their financial situation,’ the President of the European Commission said. 

‘Secondly, for a large-scale defence package, we also need a European approach to setting our investment priorities. This will allow us to invest in much-needed defence projects of common European interest,’ she added.

‘Thirdly, we will step up our work to accelerate Ukraine's accession to the European Union. We have already made significant progress, but now it is time to move mountains again. My message is this: you see a Europe that is adapting, a Europe that is stepping up, a Europe that is making a difference - now,’ von der Leyen said.