[Foreword] European defense. A paradigm shift is necessary (Josep Borrell)
(B2) Much has already been done in recent years towards a European surge in defense, but much more remains to be done to respond to the threats we face in a rapidly deteriorating geopolitical environment. A leap forward in defense requires a change in mentalities.
The High Representative of the Union for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, signs a very interesting preface to our work on European defense at the time of the war in Ukraine which will be released in a few days
The return of “old” conventional wars
“In 2019, when I took office as High Representative, I explained that Europe needed to learn to “speak the language of power”. I was already convinced then that security must become a major priority for the Union. However, I did not imagine the extent of the threats that would weigh on Europe in the following years.
“We are witnessing both the return of “old” conventional wars and the emergence of “new” hybrid wars characterized by cyberattacks and the use of all forms of interaction in the service of the balance of power, which these include trade, investments, finance, information and even migration.
An existential threat to the Union
“At a time when American involvement in the defense of Europe is becoming less certain in the long term, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine constitutes an existential threat to the Union. If Putin succeeded in destroying Ukraine's independence, he would not stop there. If he wins, the signal would be disastrous for our ability to defend what we believe in.
“This profound deterioration of our geopolitical environment implies a paradigm shift for the European Union. Our Union has in fact been built until now around the internal market and the economy. This brought peace to the peoples of Europe after the two devastating wars of the 20th century. But we have, as a result, delegated our external security to the United States for too long. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, we even organized what could be described as the “silent disarmament” of Europe.
A leap both quantitative and qualitative to be made urgently
"To correct the situation, we must now urgently make a quantitative and qualitative leap in both defence and the defence industry. We have begun to take this turn by relying on the Strategic Compass adopted two years ago, the first White Paper on European defence endorsed by the leaders of the Union. This shared analysis of threats was associated with 80 concrete actions with precise deadlines that continue to guide our action. But much remains to be done.
Taboos shaken up
“As this work underlines, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine has already pushed us to shake up taboos, in particular by providing military aid for the first time to a country at war.
“In 2021, we created the European Peace Facility (EFF), an intergovernmental fund, to enable us to provide our partners with military equipment, which was not possible through the EU budget. We started with 5 billion euros; three years later, the ceiling of this fund now stands at 17 billion euros. Although not originally created for this purpose, the Facility has been the backbone of our military support to Ukraine with €6,1 billion from this fund used to incentivize EU member states to support Ukraine. Together with its member states, the EU has provided 32 billion euros in military support to Ukraine since the start of the war. And this number is increasing every day.
“Thanks to the largest military mission in the history of the EU, EUMAM Ukraine, launched in November 2022, we will have trained 60 Ukrainian soldiers by the summer of 000. And by the end of the year, we will have donated over a million artillery shells to Ukraine. The European defence industry, which is constantly increasing its production capacity (2024 million shells per year by the end of 1.4 and 2024 million in 2), is also supplying 2025 shells under commercial contracts. The Czech initiative to purchase ammunition outside the EU complements these efforts.
Extra effort needed
“However, in a context where American support has become more uncertain, this remains insufficient. We must increase both our production capacities and the financial resources devoted to supporting Ukraine. This is why, during the Foreign Affairs Council in March, we created a new specific fund for assistance to Ukraine within the EPF, endowed with 5 billion euros, in order to be able to continue to support the Ukraine on a military level over time. I also proposed to the Council to redirect 90% of revenues from Russian fixed assets to the FEP, in order to increase our financial capacity to support Ukraine militarily.
Assume our strategic responsibility
“But it is also at home that we must respond to pressing challenges. We must now assume our strategic responsibility by becoming capable of defending Europe by ourselves, and to do so build a strong European pillar within NATO. We must make this leap forward in a very short period of time.
“Not because we intend to wage war, but on the contrary, to be able to avoid it by equipping ourselves with the means both to credibly deter any potential aggressor and to continue to support Ukraine at the level essential for as long as necessary.
Not a European army, but investing
“This does not mean that we are about to create a European army. Defence is and will remain for the foreseeable future an exclusive competence of our Member States. First of all, it is about investing more in defence at national level. In 2023, we spent on average 1,7% of our GDP on defence, this percentage must increase to more than 2%. We have no choice if we consider the scale of the needs both to support Ukraine and to enable our Member States to replenish their stocks and acquire essential new equipment. But, above all, it is about spending together to fill gaps, avoid duplication and increase the interoperability of our equipment. Only 18% of equipment purchases by our armies are currently carried out in cooperation. Whereas in 2007, 17 years ago, we set ourselves a target of 35%. We must also make our defence industry take a leap forward. Since the start of the war against Ukraine, European armies have purchased 78% of their new equipment outside the EU.
Having an autonomous European defence industry
"We need to equip ourselves with a European defence industry that can meet our own needs. We are facing quantitative but also qualitative challenges in new military technologies such as drones or artificial intelligence. We must also develop our capabilities to respond to cyberattacks and protect our critical infrastructure. One of the main lessons of the war against Ukraine is that technological superiority is essential. Especially when faced with an adversary who does not care about human losses, including his own.
"This is why I presented in March, together with the Commission, the first ever European defence industrial strategy. We must encourage joint procurement, better guarantee the security of our supplies, and organise a massive ramp-up of this industry. We must also catch up on new military technologies. With its innovation hub, the European Defence Agency will continue to play a key role in these efforts.
Anchoring Ukrainian industry
"We also want to immediately align Ukrainian industry with the European defence industry. That is why we have proposed to treat Ukraine as if it were already almost a Member State, by allowing it to participate in joint acquisition projects or to support its industry through our dedicated instruments to help it produce more.
“To achieve these goals, we must invest massively. For this we should modify the lending policy of the European Investment Bank to allow it to invest in the defense sector and issue joint debt, as we did successfully to deal with the Covid pandemic. -19. However, these discussions are only just beginning among our Member States and it is essential to get everyone on board.
A leap forward means a change in mentalities
“This leap forward in defence also requires a change in mentalities. Arms industry players have explained to me that they have difficulty recruiting the brightest engineers. Similarly, private investors are often discouraged from investing in defence companies. Every European must understand that effective defence is the sine qua non condition for the survival of our social, environmental and democratic model.
“Much has already been done in recent years towards a European surge in defense, but much more remains to be done to respond to the threats we face in a rapidly deteriorating geopolitical environment. »
Josep Borrell Fontelles High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.