The latest news on the European Union. The European Union has reached its highest level of defense spending to date (€343 billion), surpassing earlier forecasts and marking a clear upward trend for 2025, according to a new report by the European Defense Agency.
Driven largely by investments in equipment and research, almost every member state boosted its military budget last year, with only a few exceptions. The bloc now ranks just behind the US in global defense expenditures, far ahead of both Russia and China.
This surge reflects not only the impact of the ongoing war in Ukraine but also a shift in EU policy, with Brussels playing a more active role in coordinating cross-border projects and funding. At the same time, analysts expect the pattern of rising budgets to continue.
"Europe is spending record amounts on defence to keep our people safe, and we will not stop there," said Kaja Kallas. "Defense today is not a nice-to-have but fundamental for the protection of our citizens. This must be the era of European defense."