Brussels, 28 February 2024 (MIA) - It is time for Europe to step up, defend our interests and values ourselves, reduce our strategic dependencies in critical areas like energy, key technologies, economic capacities and of course defence. We need to start working on the future of the European security architecture in all of its dimensions, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in her speech at Wednesday's European Parliament Plenary on strengthening European defence. 

"In the last years, many European illusions have been shattered. The illusion that peace is permanent. The illusion that economic prosperity might matter more to Putin than destroying a free and democratic Ukraine. The illusion that Europe on its own was doing enough on security – be it economic or military, conventional or cyber. As we look around us, it is clear there is no room for any more illusions," von der Leyen pointed out. 

She stressed that at a time of a rising and disturbing league of authoritarians, insecurity and conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and aggressive economic competition which brings with it some very real European security risks, Europe must urgently wake up, because its freedom and prosperity are at stake. 

"We need to start working on the future of the European security architecture. In all of its dimensions and with all of the speed and political will that is required. The threats to our security, our prosperity and our way of life come in many different forms, and we all know them. Some of them are obvious, some of them are hazier on the surface. We Europeans must be on guard. This is not just about defeating bullies on the battlefield but across all our society," said von der Leyen. 

According to her, European sovereignty will make partnerships stronger, and never affect the importance and the need for the NATO alliance. 

"In fact, a more sovereign Europe, in particular on defence, is vital to strengthening NATO," von der Leyen said.

"At its core, European sovereignty is about taking responsibility ourselves for what is vital, and even existential, for us. It is about our ability but also about our willingness to defend our interests and values ourselves. This is what Leaders agreed with the Versailles agenda just after the start of the war to reduce our strategic dependencies in critical areas like energy, key technologies – you remember the semi-conductors –, economic capacities and of course defence," von der Leyen added. 

She noted that Member States have already stepped up their national defence budgets by 20%, and the European Peace Facility has mobilised EUR 6.1 billion to support the Ukrainian armed forces with lethal and non-lethal military equipment and supplies, and big steps forward have been taken in growing defence industrial and manufacturing capacities. 

"This funding will enable us to roughly double European ammunition production, to over 2 million shells a year by the end of 2025," said the EC President. 

She added that the threat of war "may not be imminent, but it is not impossible", and that is why Europe must be prepared, with the urgent need to rebuild, replenish and modernise Member States' armed forces, and strive to develop operational capabilities and defence industrial capacity in the next five years.

"Europe must spend more, spend better, spend European," von der Leyen pointed out, announcing that the EC will put forward some proposals in the next weeks with the first ever European Industrial Defence Strategy.

According to von der Leyen, taking these steps will not be easy, and it will require bold decisions and political courage, as well as a new European defence mind-set from institutions to industry to investors alike, because defence industry in Europe needs access to capital.

She also mentioned using the windfall profits of frozen Russian assets to jointly purchase military equipment for Ukraine. 

"There could be no stronger symbol and no greater use for that money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live. Ultimately, this is about Europe taking responsibility for its own security. The simple truth is: We do not have the luxury of comfort. We do not have the control over elections or decisions in other parts of the world. And we simply do not have the time to skirt around the issue. With or without the support of our partners, we cannot let Russia win. And the cost of insecurity – the cost of a Russian victory – is far greater than any saving we could make now. This is why it is time for Europe to step up. Long live Europe," von der Leyen said in her address to the European Parliament. 

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