Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, stated on Monday that Europe needs to boost its defense capabilities and shift into a “war economy” phase in response to the threat Russia poses.
In an article published in European newspapers and on his LinkedIn profile, Michel, who will preside over a meeting of EU leaders on Thursday to discuss support for Ukraine, argued that Europe must be accountable for its own security and not rely on assistance from the United States and other nations.
“If we do not get the EU’s response right and do not give Ukraine enough support to stop Russia, we are next. We must therefore be defense-ready and shift to a ‘war economy’ mode,” Michel said.
Michel said that Europe had increased its military manufacturing capacity by 50% since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but that there was still a long way to go, and that Europe had neglected its defense and security for decades.
“If we want peace, we must prepare for war,” he said.
Michel argued that the European Union should invest in military hardware for Ukraine and use the windfall profits from Russia’s frozen assets to buy weapons for the country.
He strongly recommended that nations encourage investments in defense, including the possibility of amending the mandate of the European Investment Bank, the lending arm of the European Union, to enable it to provide assistance to the defense sector in Europe.
On Monday, EU member states ratified a treaty increasing EU military assistance to Ukraine by 5 billion euros (approximately $5.4 billion).