Why Donald Tusk believes five percent defense spending is necessary

Donald Tusk could hardly have issued a more urgent warning during his appearance before the EU Parliament: “I would like to tell you that this is a time when Europe cannot afford to save on security.” The head of government and current EU Council President called for every country to spend five percent of its economic output on defense, following Poland's example. Tusk appealed for his call to be taken seriously: “If Europe wants to survive, it needs to be armed.”

Poland has made security in all aspects the motto of its EU Council Presidency. Tusk emphasized that he was not a militarist. His country has suffered more from wars than almost any other in Europe. Perhaps that is why he understands what is needed now to ensure that history does not repeat itself. Eastern Europeans and the Baltic states have been warning of the threat of war from Russia for some time, while for southern Europeans the threat seems further away.

Poland, with its long border with Russia and Belarus, is not only spending the five percent on its own security but on the security of Europe as a whole, emphasized Tusk: “We are dealing with a hot conflict on our borders.” The continent must wake up from its routine. Now is the time to radically increase defense spending.

Some EU states are against higher spending or Eurobonds and do not want to contract new debt, said Tusk. The most important question was not which method would be used to finance European defense projects. What is more important is that there is no alternative, no choice: “We need to be able to defend ourselves, which means that European money needs to be spent on this purpose.”

Europe should no longer rely on the American protective umbrella and must take its security into its own hands. The head of government called for a joint project with Lithuania and Finland for a protective wall on the eastern border. “Europe is not yet lost,” said Tusk in reference to Poland's national anthem and appealed for confidence. Europe had no reason to be afraid, Europe would “always be great.”

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas expressed similar alarm at the annual meeting of the European Defense Agency (EDA). National intelligence services are warning that Russia could test the readiness of EU states to defend themselves in three to five years. Europe's failure to invest in military capabilities sends a dangerous signal of weakness to Russia, the aggressor.

Estonia's former head of government appealed for the warnings to be taken seriously. US President Donald Trump was right when he said that Europe was spending too little on its security. Now is the time to invest. Today, Europe's front line is in Ukraine and Ukraine is buying Europe time. But the EU is already a target of Russia's hybrid war.

Harsh words were also directed at Moscow from Washington. US President Donald Trump threatened Russia on Wednesday with tariffs and new sanctions if Vladimir Putin is not prepared to make a deal for a ceasefire in Ukraine. He would have no choice but to impose “high taxes, tariffs and sanctions” on everything Russia sold to the US: “We can do it the easy way, or the hard way,” Trump threatened.

The EU foreign ministers will discuss the new situation with Kallas at the Foreign Affairs Council next Monday, Jan. 27. A week later, on Feb 3, Tusk will repeat his argument for European defense funding to his colleagues in the European Council.