European Union Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius, has proposed allocating 100 billion euros ($105 billion) for defense in the next seven-year EU budget, Politico reported on Dec. 8.
This amount would be a significant increase from the current 10 billion euros allocated for the EU’s seven-year budget.
Kubilius emphasized, in his interview with Politico, the need to prepare for potential Russian aggression against EU countries.
“If we fail in Ukraine, then of course, the possibility of Russian military aggression against the EU member states can increase,” he said.
Kubilius identified Vladimir Putin as the EU's main adversary and stressed that supporting Ukraine’s victory is crucial for European security.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen named Kubilius as the head of the position in September, shortly after she won her second five-year term in the June elections.
Von der Leyen said the commissioner will "work on developing the European defense union and boosting our investment in industrial capacity."
Kubilius also formerly served as the Prime Minister of Lithuania.
Kateryna Hodunova
