EU, NATO Hold Talks on Boosting Europe’s Defense Capabilities

(MENAFN) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Gen. Alexus Grynkewich met in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss strengthening Europe’s defense industrial capacity as the war in Ukraine continues.

Following the meeting, von der Leyen said on the US social media platform X that Europe must significantly increase investment and production speed as Russia continues to expand its military output.

“As war in Ukraine continues and Russian defense industry produces at scale, Europe must do more to boost investment, ramp up production capacity and increase speed,” she wrote.

She emphasized the need for a modern and innovative defense sector capable of delivering advanced systems as well as more affordable technologies. She also noted that Ukraine’s battlefield experience could help guide European defense development.

Von der Leyen added that cooperation between the European Union and NATO is essential in an increasingly unstable security environment.

“In an increasingly complex security environment, a strong relationship between the EU and NATO is central to European security,” she said.

In a parallel statement, NATO’s Allied Command Operations at SHAPE said the talks focused on strengthening coordination in areas of shared strategic interest.

“With security threats rising and Russia’s economy on a wartime footing, it’s necessary to harness @NATO and EU collective power, and to accelerate investment and defence production to meet NATO’s capability targets as Europe continues to take more responsibility for its security,” SHAPE said.

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