{"id":1436829,"date":"2022-04-14T07:59:46","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T11:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1436829"},"modified":"2022-04-14T07:59:58","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T11:59:58","slug":"russias-invasion-of-ukraine-means-europe-will-spend-big-on-defense","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/russias-invasion-of-ukraine-means-europe-will-spend-big-on-defense\/","title":{"rendered":"Russia\u2019s Invasion of Ukraine Means Europe Will Spend Big on Defense"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frussias-invasion-of-ukraine-means-europe-will-spend-big-on-defense%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1436829&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><strong>Following Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, Europe is gearing up \u2013 <\/strong>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/04\/russian-military-in-retreat-putins-ukraine-nightmare-is-slowly-unfolding\/\">Russian invasion<\/a> of Ukraine is causing waves through Europe\u2019s security environment galvanizing central and eastern European countries into bolstering their defense, which some had neglected for years.<\/p>\n<p>The most notable case is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/01\/f-35s-headed-to-germany-heres-why-it-might-happen\/\">Germany<\/a>. The European economic powerhouse and NATO member has for decades been under-investing in its defense. German defense spending reached a low of <a href=\"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/indicator\/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?locations=DE\">1.06% of GDP in 2005<\/a>. Following persistent U.S. calls, Germany\u2019s military expenditure gradually began to rise. However, by 2020 it had only reached 1.4%.<\/p>\n<p>The condition of the German military was so deplorable that on February 24, the day of Russia\u2019s invasion, chief of staff of the German army Lt. Gen. Alfons Mais <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/german-army-chief-fed-up-with-neglect-countrys-military-2022-02-24\/\">lamented that<\/a> the army \u201cis standing there more or less empty-handed.\u201d\n<\/p>\n<p>The options that the army can offer to the German government in support of NATO are \u201cextremely limited\u201d Mais added. The government\u2019s response was swift.<\/p>\n<p>On February 27, German Chancellor Olaf Sholz <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/germany-moves-to-strengthen-military-after-russian-attack-on-ukraine-2022-3\">announced the creation<\/a> of a special 100-billion-euros fund to additionally support the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/03\/russias-nightmare-comes-true-germanys-military-is-back\/\">German military<\/a> in 2022. This will put it over NATO\u2019s 2% spending target. In contrast, in 2021, Germany had spent 47 billion euros on its defense.\n<\/p>\n<p>Sholz said that henceforth Germany will be investing more than 2% on its defense, an expenditure target set by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/04\/s-500-russias-plan-to-shootdown-f-22-and-f-35-fighters-in-a-nato-war\/\">NATO<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Farther eastward, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/04\/putins-next-problem-finland-might-soon-join-nato\/\">Finland<\/a> is also preparing after Russia\u2019s aggression in Ukraine.\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Cold War<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<p>Finland has been feeling the threat of Russia for decades. Since losing territory to the Soviet Union as a result of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.19fortyfive.com\/2022\/03\/why-russia-cant-seem-to-win-in-ukraine-study-the-winter-war-of-1939\/\">Winter War<\/a>, Finland has had an uneasy but working relationship with Moscow.\n<\/p>\n<p>Militarily neutral\u2014and therefore not a NATO member\u2014Finland nevertheless has one of the world\u2019s most capable reserve forces and employs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ft.com\/content\/c5e376f9-7351-40d3-b058-1873b2ef1924\">a holistic defense approach<\/a> in case of another war with Russia.\n<\/p>\n<p>Further, on April 5, as a result of Russia\u2019s invasion, Finland announced that it will invest an extra 2 billion euros in its defense <a href=\"https:\/\/dsm.forecastinternational.com\/wordpress\/2022\/04\/06\/alarmed-by-events-in-ukraine-finland-government-agrees-to-defense-spending-top-up\/\">over the next four years<\/a>. This amounts to 70% of its defense budget.\n<\/p>\n<p>The defense spending boost comes closely at the heels of Finland\u2019s largest military procurement in history as back in December Helsinki had announced a planned purchase of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.businessinsider.com\/militaries-in-europe-are-buying-the-f35-fighter-jet-2022-2\">64 F-35A Lighting IIs jets<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Highlighting the altered calculus for Finland, the country is now strongly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilsoncenter.org\/article\/nato-membership-finland-now-likely\">considering joining NATO<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ukraine War Means Eastern Europe Prepares<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<p>All across NATO\u2019s eastern flank, the alliance\u2019s members are gearing up.\n<\/p>\n<p>Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania all announced plans to increase their defense spending to 2.5% of their GDP. They were already spending approximately 2% of GDP on defense. The three Baltic countries border Russia and were part of the Soviet Union.\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTaking into account the changes in the security situation in Europe, which are related to the Russian military invasion of Ukraine, it is necessary to purposefully strengthen Latvia\u2019s security and defense,\u201d the Latvian defense minister <a href=\"https:\/\/eng.lsm.lv\/article\/society\/defense\/latvian-government-approves-25-of-gdp-defense-spending-plan.a445900\/\">said in March<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Latvia and Lithuania will spend the money on a number of projects. For Estonia, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/global\/europe\/2022\/03\/25\/estonia-increases-defense-spending-to-buy-air-defense-systems-more-weapons\/\">most of the added funds<\/a> will go towards purchasing short- to mid-range air-defense systems.\n<\/p>\n<p>Poland, which borders Ukraine to the west and has received <a href=\"https:\/\/data2.unhcr.org\/en\/situations\/ukraine\/location\/10781\">over 2,6 million Ukrainian refugees<\/a> so far, has been a proponent of a harder line against Moscow.\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_43338\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\">\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-43338\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">F-35 stealth fighter. Could Turkey rejoin the program if it gives up the S-400 to Ukraine?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Traditionally spending <a href=\"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/indicator\/MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS?locations=PL\">close or over 2% of GDP<\/a> on defense, the Polish government <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedefensepost.com\/2022\/03\/04\/poland-raises-military-spend\/\">announced<\/a> in March, during a parliamentary session on the war in Ukraine, that it will increase that figure to 3% in 2023.\n<\/p>\n<p>Deputy Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski added that the figure will \u201cincrease further\u201d in the future. In the past, Poland has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/land\/2021\/07\/14\/polish-defence-ministry-confirms-plan-to-buy-m1-abrams-tanks\/\">made it explicit<\/a> that its defense procurements aim at countering Russia.\n<\/p>\n<p>Fellow NATO member Romania also announced a significant increase in military spending <a href=\"https:\/\/www.janes.com\/defence-news\/news-detail\/romania-to-increase-defence-spending-to-25-of-gdp\">from 2% of GDP to 2.5%<\/a> as a result of the war. The increase will likewise take effect from 2023.<\/p>\n<p>Even Bulgaria, which has had a friendly relationship with Moscow, is re-evaluating its defense capability.\n<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need a capable and combat-ready army that can protect us. We need to restore key military capabilities, but this means that serious spending must be done,\u201d Bulgarian Defense Minister Dragomir Zakov said <a href=\"https:\/\/balkaninsight.com\/2022\/03\/29\/bulgaria-to-upgrade-military-instead-of-sending-arms-to-ukraine\/\">in late March<\/a>. Bulgaria currently has one of the weakest militaries in NATO.\n<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ukraine Invasion: A Bad Move<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n<p>Russia\u2019s war against Ukraine is proving to be the end of self-imposed innocence for many European countries. At the same time, it has renewed NATO\u2019s raison d\u2019\u00eatre, is leading to the strengthening of its members, and is causing traditionally neutral countries to reassess their position. This will only weaken Russia.\n<\/p>\n<p><em>Constantine Atlamazoglou works on transatlantic and European security. He holds a master\u2019s degree in security studies and European affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Following Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine, Europe is gearing up \u2013 The Russian invasion of Ukraine is causing waves through Europe\u2019s security environment galvanizing central and eastern European countries into bolstering<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":489,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1436829","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1436829","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/489"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1436829"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1436829\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1436829"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1436829"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1436829"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}