Europe calls for increased defense spending

European Council President Donald Tusk yesterday called on European leaders to increase defense spending due to major changes related to security in the region.

European Council President Donald Tusk holds a press conference at the agency's headquarters after concluding a summit with European Union leaders in Brussels, Belgium, yesterday. Photo: Reuters.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg joined 28 European Union (EU) leaders to discuss "new risks in Europe at a time of hybrid war, global terrorism and cyber attacks," Reuters quoted European Council President Donald Tusk as saying at a summit in Brussels, Belgium.

"Europe must invest in defense to respond to the dramatic change in the security environment," he said at a press conference after the meeting.

Many European countries have cut defense spending since the 2008 financial crisis. This has made the US and NATO concerned about Europe's weakening military capabilities, especially at a time when tensions between the West and Russia are at a high level.

The drop in spending is also hitting European defense companies, forcing them to cut research money and raising concerns about losing future competitiveness.

Mr Stoltenberg’s presence demonstrates the level of coordination between NATO and the EU in dealing with so-called “hybrid” warfare, a term that refers to unusual “offensive” techniques such as cyber intrusions, economic pressure and recruitment through propaganda and social media by radical Islamists.

The EU has carried out a number of military missions, from training troops in Somalia to a new initiative to tackle illegal immigration from Libya. However, the EU believes it has not received enough recognition for these efforts.

According to vnexpress