Frontline countries want financial clarity on Commission’s defence proposals

The European Commission’s forthcoming Defence Readiness Roadmap seems to have the support of most EU countries, but those nearest to Russia want to know how the proposed flagship defence projects will be funded.

“We have a lot of different names for a lot of different formats. I wish we’d have as much money. That would be much more helpful,” Dovilė Šakalienė, Lithuania’s defence minister said prior to the dinner.

The latest draft of the roadmap – seen by Euractiv – does not introduce additional funding options. Yet besides proposing such projects and pushing for timelines, the EU’s greatest competence in the nationally well-guarded defence sphere is funding.

“The EU has an important role to play when it comes to creating conditions for financing,” Swedish defence minister Pål Jonson told reporters before meeting his colleagues in the Council.

Latvian defence minister Andris Sprūds also stressed on Wednesday evening that the Commission’s projects of common interest must be well defined with clear funding.

As prioritised flagship projects, the roadmap lists the Eastern Flank Watch (including a European Drone Wall), a European Air Shield, and the European Defence Space Shield. On top of that, the Commission pitches a range of ideas to improve the continent’s war-readiness, such as securing the supply of raw materials, improving military mobility, better connecting deep tech companies with defence, and supporting Ukraine’s industry with joint ventures in the EU.

A concern of some EU countries is to get these defence projects going as soon as possible, while the new EU budget – which proposes €131 billion for various defence and space industry programmes – will only kick off from 2028.

“We have to find money quite fast and that’s the main responsibility for the Commission,” Finland’s defence minister Antti Häkkänen said prior to the dinner, adding that these proposed projects need to be financed via existing or extra funds until the next multiannual EU budget.

Estonia’s defence minister, Hanno Pevkur, said similar at NATO headquarters a few hours before, stating that he wanted the Commission to come up with more funding ideas for defence.

Romania already raised the funding issue directly with the Commission. The country’s defence minister said that he told the Commission “that if they want to help like with the drone wall, we need funding, simple mechanism, prioritisation for the eastern flank”.

(cp)