Oleg Davygora20:46, 03/18/24

According to him, Europe must strengthen its ability to defend the democratic world – for Ukraine and for Europe.

European Council President Charles Michel is confident that  Russia will not stop at Ukraine and that to counter this threat, Europe needs a new spirit of security and defense.

As he writes in a column for Der Spiegel, two years after the start of the war in Ukraine, it has become clear that Russia will not stop in Ukraine, just as it did not stop in Crimea ten years ago. Russia continues its destabilizing tactics – in Moldova, Georgia, the South Caucasus, the Western Balkans and even further on the African continent.

“Russia poses a serious military threat to our European continent and to global security. If we do not find the right EU response and provide enough support to Ukraine to stop Russia, we will be next. Therefore, we must be ready to defend ourselves and move to a war economy “It’s time to take responsibility for our own security. We can no longer rely on others or be at the mercy of election cycles in the US or other countries,” he wrote.

According to him, Europe must strengthen its ability to defend the democratic world – for Ukraine and for Europe.

“A stronger Europe will also strengthen the NATO alliance and strengthen our collective defense. We can be proud of how far we have come, but we can and must do much more,” Michel wrote.

The politician argues that Europe faces its biggest security challenge since the Second World War and needs to develop our defense preparedness.

“This will lead to a radical and irreversible change in our thinking towards a strategic security mindset. We must prioritize Ukraine, and our spending must be more significant, smarter and less fragmented. While strengthening our defense capabilities, we must provide Ukraine with everything it needs on the battlefield “Ukrainian soldiers urgently need bullets and missiles, as well as air defense systems to control the airspace. We must use the European budget to purchase military equipment for Ukraine. Let’s use the profits received from the immobilization of Russian assets to purchase weapons for Ukraine,” he thinks.

Michel called for doubling purchases from European industry by 2030.

“This will give our companies more confidence in planning. Multi-year contracts will also provide an incentive for them to increase production capacity. This will strengthen our defense industry, improve defense readiness, and create jobs and growth across the EU. Investment in defense is expensive “, but without them we will not be able to increase defense production. We need to open ways that make it easier for industrialists to access public and private funding,” the president added.

Possibility of a Russian attack on Europe

According to an analysis by German intelligence agencies, Moscow could double its military power over the next five years and attack NATO countries in the near future. According to Business Insider, a released German intelligence report claims that Moscow is preparing for a fundamental conflict with the West, as evidenced by the restructuring of the army, the movement of troops and the deployment of missiles in the west of the country.

(C)UNIAN 2024