EU Defense Funds Creation Requires Effort, Says Former Lithuanian PM
(MENAFN- AzerNews)
The establishment of the European Union (EU) defense funds will
be a long-term process that requires significant effort from member
state leaders.
Azernews reports that Andrius Kubilius, former
Prime Minister of Lithuania and European Commissioner for Defense
and Space, discussed this challenge with local media.
"The European Commission is focused on creating financial
instruments like defense funds. While the need is clear, there is a
lengthy process ahead to reach an agreement on these funds, how
they will operate, and the rules governing their distribution to
member states," Kubilius stated.
He criticized Lithuania for initially announcing a substantial
increase in defense spending, only to seek funding sources later,
suggesting that this burden should fall on Brussels. "Lithuanian
ministers are suggesting they will search for funds in EU resources
that don't yet exist," Kubilius remarked.
Following Lithuania's State Defense Council's announcement in
January to increase military spending to 5-6% of GDP by 2026 (up
from 3.03% in the 2025 budget), Defense Minister Dovile Šakalene
stressed the need to push the EU for financial support in
defense.
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