The European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on Sunday called for more investment in defense cooperation given the problem of stockpile depletion due to the constant help Ukraine is receiving in its defense from invasion.
«We have given weapons to Ukraine, but in doing so, we realized that our military reserves had been depleted,» Borrell has posted in his weekly message within his Internet blog.
«We realized that we lacked critical defense capabilities to be able to protect ourselves from a higher level of threats on the European continent itself,» he has added.
In this regard, Borrell recalled that the collaborative procurement of defense equipment in 2021, which amounted to 7.9 billion euros, represents 18 percent of total spending on equipment procurement, «well below the agreed benchmark of 35 percent.»
«Simply put, you have to buy more together. More than 10 months of war and support for Ukraine have highlighted the inadequacy of our stockpiles and the fragility of our supply chains,» he said.
Borrell regretted this situation at a time when «everything is ready to make a leap in defense cooperation». In this sense, for the High Representative, an action plan is needed through «political impetus from above, that is, the presidents and prime ministers of the EU».
