PRAGUE (AP) — European countries have strengthened their defenses in response to Russia’s 2014 annexation of the Crimean peninsula and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a London-based think tank said Friday, but much remains to be done to to achieve that. be prepared for Russia’s threats.
That is the conclusion of a report released by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, which was released as it opened a three-day meeting in the Czech capital to discuss European and transatlantic military capabilities.
“Not only has NATO significantly increased its deterrence and warfighting ambitions, but European members have also sought to address shortcomings in critical capabilities and preparedness,” the report said.
“However, it is no surprise that after decades of neglect and underinvestment, much remains to be done and progress has been mixed.”
It was released as European leaders, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, were reassessing their transatlantic ties in Budapest, Hungary, hoping that Donald Trump’s second US presidency will end his first administration’s struggles and will maintain a strong common position on the issue. Russia.
During his election campaign, Trump threatened actions that could have game-changing consequences for countries across Europe, from a trade war with the EU to a withdrawal of NATO commitments and a fundamental shift in support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.
During his first term (2017-2021), Trump pushed NATO’s European members to spend more on defense, up to 2% of gross domestic product, and rely less on U.S. military coverage.
Some progress has been made in that regard: in 2024, defense spending by NATO’s European member states will be 50% higher than ten years ago, the report said.
But problems remain, the IISS said, citing a lack of stability in government financing that “ultimately limits the (defense) industry’s ability to invest with confidence.”
In addition, “regulatory hurdles and the application of environmental, social and governance standards will continue to hinder investment,” the report said.
The European defense industry has managed to increase production of some products after 2022, especially those with high demand from Ukraine, such as air defense and artillery. But European countries also donated their own weapons to Ukraine, including F-16 fighter jets, and “remain dependent on the US for a number of key aspects of their military capabilities,” also looking to Brazil, Israel and South Korea to contribute meet their needs due to a lack of their production capacity.
Competition with civilian industries for raw materials and skilled professionals makes things more difficult for the defense industry, the report said.
It also warned that many European armies do not have sufficient military personnel. A lesson to be learned from Russia’s war against Ukraine is “that countries need significant forces to deal with and defeat enemy attacks, but also sufficient forces to recover after battle exhaustion.”
By that standard, “Europe’s core military forces remain underpowered.”
Europeans still have a long way to go to renovate their defense capabilities, the report said.
“Army forces, budgets and defense industrial capabilities were reduced as a result of political decisions by governments. These same governments must now rediscover the ‘muscle memory’ of defense and security, and ensure sustained policy attention and investment to meet the new strategic reality in Europe.”
