German soldiers take part in NATO exercises in Lithuania, May 2024

The “white paper” notes that Russia is set to spend up to 9% of its GDP on defense by 2024 as it continues its military campaign in Ukraine. The document says Moscow will continue to expand its wartime economy, and that “Russia will remain the fundamental threat to European security for the foreseeable future.”

The “white paper” acknowledges that over the past decades, EU defense investment has been inadequate, and notes that the United States has pushed Europe to take more responsibility for its own defense.

The “White Paper” proposes that member states should focus on seven priority areas, including air and missile defense, to counter threats such as cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, hypersonic missiles and drones. The EU will give priority to European companies in joint procurement to support the continent’s defense industry.

The “White Paper” also proposes that the EU should seek opportunities for defence industrial cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific, especially Japan.

“There is no Cold War, but there is a hot war on European soil and the threat is real,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told reporters. “We need to do more,” she added.