The 27 EU associate States spend more on defence than always before. This is due to the yearly study of the European Defence Agency (EDA), published on Tuesday. According to the report, spending on military and arms increased by 19 percent a year, to EUR 343 billion in 2024. The EDA envisages a further increase of up to EUR 381 billion by 2025. According to the agency, almost EUR 130 billion of this amount will be allocated to investments, for example in fresh weapons.
"Europe spends evidence amounts on defence to defend our population and we will not halt there," said the head of EU diplomacy Kaja Kallas (48) The EU "uses all financial and political resources to support associate States and European companies in this venture", emphasised Kallas.
In March, the EU decided to set up an arms fund worth EUR 150 billion to supply associate States with more favourable loans for defence expenditure. According to the European Commission, 19 of the 27 EU countries have so far applied for backing from this fund.
Secretary-General EDA André Denk (57) he called these numbers ‘encouraging’. However, the accomplishment of NATO's objectives requires "an even greater effort and spending of more than EUR 630 billion per year". European countries have importantly increased defence spending since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. respective Western military and intelligence agencies inform that Moscow may attack a NATO associate State within 3 to 5 years.
At the NATO summit in The Hague, associate States undertook to devote at least 3.5% of their yearly economical product to defence and 1.5% to defence-related infrastructure by 2032.
