If we want peace, we must prepare for war

It was half past three in the morning on February 24, 2022 when I was woken up by a call on my phone.

Not even countless intelligence reports warning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine can prepare anyone for such a moment.

Hearing the somber voice of President Zelensky announcing on the phone “they are bombing us;

It is a large-scale invasion,” I understood that the entire security order created after World War II had changed forever.

The EU had to change too, and quickly.

A few hours later, EU leaders met at an extraordinary summit in Brussels to set out the EU's response to the invasion.

We were out of words.

It was time for action.

It was a historic moment that all EU leaders will always remember.

The decisions taken in that European Council marked the birth of the geopolitical EU.

The Kremlin miscalculated that the war against Ukraine would last just three days, and underestimated the collective unity of the EU and Ukraine's determination to defend its territory, highlighting the delirium within the Russian leadership.

The Kremlin is indifferent to the well-being of its people, the prosperity of its country or peace in the region.

On the contrary, Ukraine and its people have resisted, regained lost territory, driven the Russian navy from the Black Sea, and inflicted huge casualties on Russian forces.

After two years of war, it has become clear that Russia will not stop in Ukraine, just as it did not stop 10 years ago in Crimea.

Russia continues its destabilization tactics—in Moldova, Georgia, the South Caucasus, the Western Balkans, and even on the African continent.

Russia constitutes a serious military threat to our European continent and to global security.

If we do not come up with an adequate response from the EU and provide Ukraine with sufficient support to stop Russia, we will be next.

Therefore, we must prepare for defense and move to a “war economy.”

The time has come to take responsibility for our own safety.

We can no longer count on others or be at the mercy of electoral cycles in the United States or other countries.

We must strengthen our ability to defend the democratic world, both for Ukraine and for Europe.

A stronger Europe will also contribute to a stronger NATO and improve our collective defence.

While we can be proud of the progress we have made, we can and must still do much more.

In a phone call two days after the start of the war, President Zelensky urged the EU to send weapons.

We are working together with the High Representative, Josep Borrell, and with EU leaders to, for the first time in the history of our Union, supply lethal weapons to Ukraine.

The first weapons were shipped that same weekend.

Since then, Europe's support for Ukraine and its people has remained strong in all European Councils.

Likewise, we have intensified efforts at the military level.

The European defense industry has increased its production capacity by 50% since the start of the war, and by the end of next year we will double European ammunition production to two million rounds per year.

Meanwhile, Kremlin propaganda spreading across our continent attempts to convince our citizens that the war in Ukraine does not concern us, that it is bleeding our budgets dry and dividing us.

They are blatant lies.

We must do more to help Ukraine and to strengthen our European defense.

We have to be able to speak both the language of diplomacy and the language of power.

Russia is estimated to spend 6% of its GDP on defense this year, while average EU spending remains below NATO's target of 2% of GDP.

For decades, we in Europe have underinvested in our security and defence.

Today we face the greatest threat to our security since the Second World War, so we must strengthen our defense preparedness.

This will require a radical and irreversible change in our way of thinking, towards a strategic security approach.

We must prioritize Ukraine and spend more, better and in a less fragmented way.

Support for Ukraine

As we strengthen our defense capabilities, we must ensure that Ukraine receives what it needs on the battlefield.

Ukrainian soldiers urgently need bullets and missiles, as well as air defense systems to control the sky.

We must use the European budget to buy military equipment for Ukraine;

Let's use the windfall from retained Russian assets to buy weapons.

Buy more together

Between now and 2030 we must aim to double our purchases from European industry, which will provide more predictability to our companies.

Furthermore, multi-annual contracts will encourage them to increase their production capacity, which will strengthen our arms industry, improve defense preparedness and also create jobs, promoting growth throughout the EU.

Facilitate access to financing

Investments in defense are expensive, but without them we cannot increase our production in the sector.

We must make it easier for the industry to access both public and private financing.

Another efficient way to strengthen our technological, industrial and innovation base can be the issuance of European bonds in the field of defense in order to raise funds to purchase material or invest in our industry.

We must also consider the possibility of expanding the mandate of the European Investment Bank and adapting the lending policy to be able to provide greater support to our European arms industry, for example by redefining dual-use products.

EU leaders meet once again in Brussels two years after that decisive European Council.

At this crucial moment in world history, Europe must be prepared to defend itself and rise to the urgency of the threat.

This fight requires strong leadership that directs our citizens, companies and governments towards a new spirit of security and defense throughout the European continent.

If we want peace, we must prepare for war.

Charles Michel

is the president of the European Council.

Subscribe to continue reading

Read without limits

Keep reading

I am already a subscriber

_