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NATO is preparing for an armed confrontation with Russia in the coming years. According to intelligence from German intelligence services, a number of factors indicate this. In particular, the reorganization of the Russian army and the deployment of missiles in the west of the country. And also Russia’s increase in arms production, the classified document says. Meanwhile, the European Union is focused on developing the defense industry. Almost 2 billion euros have already been allocated for relevant programs, FREEDOM reports.
As stated by the European Commission, we are talking about increasing the production of ammunition, joint procurement and new developments.
By the end of 2025, the EU plans to increase ammunition production capacity to 2 million shells per year. The European Commission has selected 31 projects to help the European industry increase its ammunition production. The projects will be financed with 513 million euros from the budgets of the EU and Norway, according to a statement on the website of the European Commission.
“The Ammunition Support Act is in effect. For the first time, we are using the EU budget to support defense industrial capacity. Unprecedented. The signal we are sending is clear: Europe is ready to produce more, faster and together,” said EU Commissioner for the Internal Market Thierry Breton.
According to Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen, if the EU investment is implemented, Finland intends to increase ammunition production by 10 times – compared to the period before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. For example, in December 2023, the country’s Ministry of Defense allocated about 24 million euros to increase domestic production of ammunition.
“This decision will finance investments that are critical to security of supply and provide long-term support to Ukraine,” Hakkanen emphasized.
The European Commission and the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, presented a new European defense-industrial strategy on March 5. It includes measures to support the competitiveness and readiness of the EU defense industry. It also provides for the integration of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex into the European one.
“Europe must increase its strategic responsibility and stand up on its own two feet when it comes to defense. But Europe and the United States are closely interconnected, we must do more together to prevent Ukraine from losing the war,” Borrell emphasized.
The European Union must do more for defense, replenish and modernize weapons, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“Over the next five years we must significantly increase our industrial defense capabilities. And at the heart of this there must be a simple principle: Europe needs to spend more, more effectively, and spend European money. And it will help us meet the urgent need to replenish and modernize the armed forces of our member countries. And let’s continue to support Ukraine,” she urged.
Earlier, Western intelligence agencies warned of a Russian military threat to NATO’s eastern flank, calling on Europe to strengthen its defenses.
In December 2023, the Chief of Staff of the Belgian Army, Admiral Michel Hofmann, warned: Russia’s aggressive rhetoric and transition to war suggest the possibility of opening new fronts against Moldova or the Baltic countries.
In January 2024, the commander-in-chief of the Norwegian armed forces, General Eirik Kristoffersen, said that his country had “little time” left before a possible attack from the unpredictable Russia. European countries have one to three years to invest more in reliable defense, he stressed.
At the same time, according to the conclusions of American intelligence, the Russian Federation does not want a direct military clash with NATO and will not cross the line of direct confrontation. Since the war unleashed against Ukraine has turned into big problems for Russia, according to the published annual report of the US intelligence community.
Read also: Ukraine at OSCE: Russians can be expelled, but it depends on ammo stocks
Let us remind you that the leaders of France, Germany and Poland agreed to increase support for Ukraine.
