The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, said on Friday that the threat posed by Russia to the European Union will grow and called on member states to work together to avoid fragmentation and accelerate the development of the EU defence industry. This was reported by EFE.
Borrell made these statements during a conference at the Forum of Europe in Brussels, where he spoke alongside Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury. The European diplomat stressed that EU countries should be aware of the growing dangers, particularly after Russia’s recent powerful attacks on Kyiv. “The threat that Russia poses to us will grow, and Europeans must wake up,” Borrell said.
He warned that the European Union should take immediate steps to strengthen defence capabilities, especially in the areas of air and space defence. “One way to wake up is to build more defence capabilities, particularly in air defence, where Ukraine remains at a disadvantage,” Borrell said.
He also criticised the fragmentation of the EU’s defence industry, stressing that each member state has its own requirements and agencies for procuring defence goods, leading to competition between states that should be cooperating. “Each country has its own requirements and countries are competing with each other, just like when they were enemies,” Borrell said. He noted that the EU has not yet overcome fragmentation in the production of aviation and military equipment, comparing the situation to the centralised procurement model of the US Department of Defence.
Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus, added that the European Union makes more than half of its military purchases outside the EU, as each country is responsible for its own defence. Fari explained that in order to develop the defence industry, both demand and supply need to be strengthened. “There is no way to move forward in the defence industry without strengthening supply and demand, but strengthening supply is not possible without strengthening demand,” he said.
In general, both Borrell and Fari stressed the importance of closer cooperation between EU member states to create a more powerful and competitive defence industry capable of meeting future security challenges.
