RIGA - The White Paper for European Defence - Readiness 2030, unveiled by the European Commission (EC) on Wednesday, as well as related legislation will enable European Union (EU) member states to provide long-term guarantees to military manufacturers through loans, which the industry is expecting, European Parliament Member Martins Stakis (Progressives) told LETA.
The MEP indicated that it is not possible to rapidly increase military capacity, because even if the amount of weapons and other defense systems is tripled, you still need people who can maintain them and train soldiers. Stakis noted that the changes could apply to the procurement of ammunition. He added that since the Cold War European ammunition depots have never been full.
"Latvia and most of Europe also bought ammunition largely for military training, because there was no need for warehouses to be filled up. But now there is the need and it is urgent. Here we can build a bridge to how we can give long-term guarantees to manufacturers, through loans, that countries will order more ammunition. In the past, this was very difficult to achieve," the MEP said.
Stakis mentioned that Russia plans to produce 1.7 million 155 millimeter artillery shells this year, whereas all NATO members together could not provide 1 million last year. Stakis concluded that the production capacity needs to be increased. He believes it is important to have sufficient ammunition stocks in case of the worst-case scenario.
The new EC strategy stresses the bolstering of the EU's eastern border as a priority. The MEP underlined that Europe has finally realized the importance of strengthening Europe's eastern and north-eastern borders, as until now many feared that, like the US, the walls being built were primarily intended to curb illegal migration.
"Over the past weeks, I have managed to convince my colleagues in the Greens/EFA Group that this is an important topic. I underlined Latvia's concern that unfriendly, hostile countries, such as infantrymen in civilian clothes, could enter our territory and start some kind of hybrid warfare. There is a different level of threat at the moment," the politician said.
On European defense in general, the MEP pointed to a problem that politicians in other EU countries are struggling with: people understand the need to invest more in defense, but they do not want it to be done at the cost of social support, healthcare and education. Otherwise, they would take to the streets. The EC mechanism gives politicians the possibility to act without affecting other budget lines, Stakis explained.
"This is important in the context of the Latvian budget. It will, of course, increase the country's external debt. There is no doubt that future generations will have to pay for it, but in the name of common security, I think there should be no major objections," the MEP said.
He also expressed skepticism about the White Paper's goal of achieving full strategic independence for Europe by 2030, so as not to have to rely on the defense guarantees of other countries. At the same time, the EU's EUR 150 billion SAFE loan program is also on the table. It will ensure that arms can only be bought on the European market.
"This will be a big challenge. The military industry cannot increase its capacity in a short time. At present, European air defense systems are largely based on the Patriot and Arrow systems, co-produced by the US and Israel. These two systems are not produced in Europe. Latvia has ordered German IRIS-T air defense systems, the first of which will not be delivered until 2026. I do not see that manufacturers in Europe could start producing such a complex system urgently," the MEP said.
Stakis believes that the EU will still need to build an alliance with someone who comes to the rescue. In his view, Europe alone cannot achieve full strategic independence in the short term. The MEP acknowledged that the goal is ambitious.
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