“Last year, member states as a whole spent on average 1.9% of their GDP on defense. Russia spent 9%,” Kaja Kallas stressed.
Kaja Kallas in Brussels, January 17, 2025. (AFP / NICOLAS TUCAT)
Donald Trump's criticism of Europe's security spending is justified, admitted Wednesday January 22, the head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas, for whom the American president “is right”. The United States remains the EU's “strongest ally” and should remain so, according to her.
“We spend billions on our schools, our health systems and our social protection.
But if we don't spend more on defense, all of this will be put at risk.
“, she warned.
“Last year, Member States as a whole spent on average 1.9% of their GDP on defense.
Russia spends 9% on it
“, she insisted, saying she was convinced that the bloc could do more to help Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion.
“A dangerous signal” sent to the attacker
For Kaja Kallas, there is an urgent need for investment from Member States and the private sector, but also from the European budget. “Europe's inability to invest in its military capabilities also sends a dangerous signal to the aggressor,” she insisted.
The head of European diplomacy also stressed that if Russia had friends, the EU had “more”, highlighting the strength of the alliance with the United States and calling for a new agreement of security with the United Kingdom, the EU's “key partner”.
“We need a mutually beneficial relationship on security and defense” with London
she explained during a conference in Brussels. “A new agreement on this theme would be the next logical step.”
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