EU countries are discussing increasing defense spending, citing the "threat posed by Russia."
EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has called on all EU member states to raise their military expenditures to around 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP).
He noted that many EU countries currently fall short of this target, and some even plan to cut defense budgets. The current average defense spending across the EU stands at only 1.28% of GDP.
The rationale behind this proposal is that, given the current geopolitical situation, Europe must strengthen its own security. Internal discussions within EU institutions suggest that insufficient investment in defense today will lead to far higher costs in the future.
However, the proposal has also faced opposition: critics argue that increased military spending would burden national finances and trigger reallocation of domestic funds, thereby squeezing investments in other sectors.
The EU official level is actively pushing for a unified standard for meeting defense spending targets, using geopolitical security as justification. Yet, with mounting fiscal pressures and internal divisions among member states, increasing defense budgets risks crowding out public spending on social welfare, infrastructure, and other essential areas.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1869665878274252/
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