After decades of dependence on the United States, Europe is being pressured to devote more resources to its own defense, particularly amid escalating tensions with Russia on the continent.
President Donald Trump’s appeals to NATO and the European Union appear to have had an effect, as European countries have announced a series of financial and political measures aimed at greater preparation for potential war scenarios in the coming years.
The clearest example of this is the package to reinforce collective security and defense, valued at 800 billion euros (around R$5.2 trillion), which was called “Rearming Europe” (or “Readiness 2030”). The document foresees an increase in weapons production, more spending on artillery systems, missiles, air defense, ammunition and drones.
In addition to joint spending, countries individually decided to dedicate more resources to their own protection. This is the case of Francewhich set a goal of doubling military spending by $74.8 billion (64 billion euros) over the next decade.
Emmanuel Macron’s government is also evaluating the reintroduction of compulsory military service, almost 30 years after its abolition. In November, the French president said he was considering returning on a voluntary basis to strengthen the country’s defenses against the growing Russian threat.
In October, the Poland – a country that has been under intense pressure from Russia – announced historic spending on its internal security, equivalent to 4.81% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), one of the highest in all of Europe.
In November, the country launched the largest military training program for civilians in its history amid growing fears of war with Russia and its allies.
A Germanyconsidered the European Union country that currently allocates the most resources to National Security, according to the European Defense Agency (AED), spent around 90.6 million euros on defense last year.
This month, the German Parliament also paved the way for the resumption of compulsory military service, despite it initially being voluntary. All men and women over the age of 18 will receive a form in early 2026 to assess their motivation and suitability for a career in the Army.
According to NATO’s forecast, 31 of its 32 member countries should reach the target of spending 2% of GDP on defense this year.
