Story highlights
Von der Leyen said the EU is mobilising up to €800 billion and, through its SAFE programme, investing in key capabilities ranging from air and missile defence to drones and military mobility.
European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen, during a security conference in Germany, argued that Europe must assume more responsibility for its own security. Her comments signal that fractures in the US-led NATO security architecture, caused by President Trump, have pushed Europe to reconsider its role in the post-World War II transatlantic framework.
“Europe needs to step up and has to take on its responsibility” for its security, she told the Munich Security Conference on Saturday (Feb 14), adding that “Europe’s security has not always been seen as our primary responsibility.”
“We must grow a European backbone of strategic enablers: in space, intelligence and deep-strike capabilities,” she said.
She declared that “No taboo can go unchallenged,” referring to the recent use of the EU’s collective commitment by member states to defend one another in the event of aggression, as seen during the standoff between the United States and European nations over Trump’s bid to acquire Greenland.
“I believe the time has come to bring Europe’s mutual defence clause to life.”
She asserted that today is a time for action, saying, “I want to focus on Europe’s plan for independence,” and stressed the need for urgent action by quoting a line from a former US Assistant Secretary of Defense “Unless a nation feels itself primarily responsible for its own security and wellbeing, it will leave the task to others and fail to marshal its resources and political will in its own defence.”
She also mentioned the progress Europe has made in strengthening its security: “Defence spending in Europe in 2025 is up close to 80% compared to before the war in Ukraine. The EU is mobilising up to EUR 800 billion. With our SAFE programme, we are investing in the capabilities we need, from air and missile defence to drones and military mobility.”
“By 2028, defence investment in Europe is even projected to exceed the amount the US spent on such equipment last year. This is a true European awakening,” she added.
The EU chief’s remarks come against the backdrop of Europe setting in motion a historic rearmament effort to build credible defence capabilities by 2030, triggered by US threats to reduce spending within NATO and to prepare itself for potential conflict with Russia.