Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – March 20, 2025: EU Commission President von der Leyen presents the White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030 at the European Council and discusses its implementation with EU leaders.
EU member states’ leaders met in Brussels to discuss competitiveness, the multiannual financial framework (MFF), defence and Ukraine. All these topics are interlinked, as many EU leaders emphasized.
Discussing Ukraine leads to EU defence capabilities, which are linked to competitiveness as the Union is trying to rely more on itself, and all these ambitions need to be balanced with the financial resources available.
In a statement published today after the Euro Summit – which took place at the margins of the Council meeting – it’s said clearly that geopolitical uncertainty is damaging and needs to be addressed by increasing resilience and autonomy.
To contribute to that end, the Commission published the White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030, outlining in greater detail the Commission’s rearmament plan and goals. There’s no doubt left, said President von der Leyen: now acting it’s a “must.”
What does the White Paper say?
Following up on the discussion at the Special European Council of March 6 and ReArm EU, the Commission’s rearmament plan, the White Paper goes into greater detail in explaining the steps to achieve a “strong and sufficient European defence posture by 2030 at the latest.”
In the short run, the plan aims to urgently replenish stocks of ammunition, weapons and military equipment, which will also allow greater support to Ukraine. Priority will be given to air and missile defence, artillery systems, drones, military mobility and AI, quantum, cyber and electronic warfare.
The Council discussed the situation in Ukraine with President Zelensky, who joined the meeting via video conference for an exchange of views in the morning.
All member states but Hungary reaffirmed their support to the country as detailed in the EUCO 11/25 document. This includes, among other points, support for a lasting peace encompassing security guarantees for Ukraine; regular financial support to Kyiv; the possibility of increasing pressure on Russia through further sanctions; a commitment to hold Russia accountable for its war crimes.
President Costa commented on Hungary’s divergent position reaffirming that he respects it, but that the EU “can’t get stuck because Hungary sees things differently.”
By 2030, the Commission’s goal is to intensify EU-NATO cooperation and to incentivize member states’ investments on defence. The EU commits to lowering costs by avoiding competitive purchasing and to providing a unified framework to “prevent, detect and respond effectively to security threats –” which will be called Preparedness Union Strategy.
“We must buy more European, because that means strengthening the European defence technological and industrial base. That means stimulating innovation. And that means creating an EU-wide market for defence equipment,”
Said von der Leyen in a statement.
Finally, the paper also includes the SAFE (Security and Action For Europe) plan, which will provide member states 150 billion euros in loans backed by the EU budget to invest in defence.
Why is rearmament so urgent?
“The international order is undergoing changes of a magnitude not seen since 1945,” reads the Paper. The US is reducing its “historical role as primary security guarantor”, Russia won’t stop at Ukraine if it is allowed to win, and “authoritarian states like China increasingly seek to assert their authority and control” in European economy and society.
The Paper also brings up Europe’s geographical location, and how it makes it vulnerable to challenges related to climate change effects, wars and migration spillovers from North America and the Middle East.
How did member states respond to the White Paper?
Italian PM Meloni insisted on her broader definition of defence. Last week at the European Parliament, MEPs from her party Brothers of Italy proposed an amendment – that didn’t pass – to rename ReArm EU and call it “Defend EU.”
“Security is not just rearmament,”
Meloni told the press at the Council.
“I told von der Leyen today what I mean by security and defence, to make sure that the resources that we are making available can be used to defend our borders, cybersecurity, strategic infrastructures, raw materials and other elements I deem fundamental.”
At the same time, the Italian PM agrees that the EU has to step up for itself.
“If you ask someone else to defend you, you risk that someone else will decide for you.”
Spanish leader Sanchez said that he doesn’t like nor share the concept of rearmament. “Europe is a project of soft power,” he said, and that citizens should be addressed differently when the conversation is about security and defence.
When confronted with this issue by the press, von der Leyen replied that the White Paper published yesterday already addresses other areas, including electronic warfare, cyber and communication elements, military mobility, infrastructure and the capability gaps.
Other leaders overall welcomed the contents of the White Paper. Dutch PM Schoof emphasized the need for sustainable debt and financial health while investing this much in defence.
International cooperation: is Canada stepping closer to the EU?
The White Paper also includes a section about international partnerships. After highlighting the key role that NATO plays in boosting EU defence capabilities, the Commission mentions the UK for bilateral security and defence cooperation and Norway for its contribution to the EU budget.
Then, it mentions Canada.
“Our Cooperation with Canada has intensified and should be further enhanced, also to strengthen transatlantic security.”
The Paper talks about an “upcoming Security and Defence partnership.” The New York Times reported yesterday that Canada is in “advanced talks” – although no specifics have been discussed yet, the Times’ anonymous source said – to join the EU rearmament plan and to have a truly viable alternative to the United States’ offer.
Canadian sources with knowledge of the file spoke to Toronto Star about it, and actually said that the talks are in “very early stages.”
The newly elected Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first trips abroad were to Paris and London last Monday. Talking to French President Macron, Carney called Canada “the most European of non-European countries.”
Carney then visited the city of Iqaluit, in Canadian territory of Nunavut, close to Greenland, on March 18. He announced a CAD$ 6 billion investment (about 3.8 billion euros) and a partnership with Australia to develop advanced technology that will “provide early warning radar coverage from threats in the Arctic,” and a year-round Canadian Armed Forces presence in the region to protect his country’s sovereignty.
The White Paper also mentions Türkiye, India and Indo-Pacific countries like Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand as other partners through which the EU can enhance its security.
