As a result of the situation surrounding Russia's aggression against Ukraine, Europe can no longer take peace for granted. It has shed its illusions about the possibility of economic and security integration with Russia, as well as about the availability of U.S. protection.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated this on Tuesday during a speech at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
"Peace in our European Union can no longer be taken for granted. We are facing a crisis in European security. But we know that this is the kind of crisis in which Europe has always been built. So, this is a moment to achieve peace through strength. This is a moment for joint efforts in defense," noted Ursula von der Leyen.
She pointed out that during the last European Council meeting, the level of consensus among European leaders on defense issues was unprecedented and would have been "unthinkable" just a few weeks ago. European leaders have realized that they must think and act differently in order to mobilize Europe's economic resources to strengthen their own security. According to the European Commission president, these efforts will require determination and courage in the coming weeks and months.
"The European security order has been shaken, and many of our illusions have been dispelled. After the end of the Cold War, some believed that Russia could be integrated into Europe’s economic and security architecture. Others hoped that we could unconditionally rely on American protection. So we lowered our defenses. We cut our defense spending by more than half from the usual average level, which was above 3.5% of GDP. We thought we could reap the dividends of peace. But in reality, we were only creating a security deficit. The time for illusions is over," von der Leyen stated.
She emphasized that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defense—not in the distant future, but right now. This does not mean slow, gradual steps but instead requires Europeans to have the courage to achieve a surge in their defense capabilities. This is exactly what the current security situation demands.
"We need this, first and foremost, because of the situation in Ukraine. There is an urgent need to fill the gap in military supplies for Ukraine and to provide Ukraine with strong security guarantees. But this decisive moment is not just about Ukraine. It concerns all of Europe and the security of our entire continent," von der Leyen stressed.
