EU Commissioner Kubilius urges bloc to ramp up military preparations

European Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has called for the European Union to ramp up its military preparations, citing concerns that the bloc is falling behind Russia in defense production, according to TASS.

Kubilius, who holds a defense-related portfolio within the European Commission, acknowledged that Russia is currently outproducing the EU in terms of military manufacturing output, a gap he suggested needs to be addressed through accelerated preparation across member states.

The commissioner's remarks add to an ongoing debate within the EU over how quickly member states should scale up defense industrial capacity, including munitions and equipment production, in light of the continuing war in Ukraine and broader security concerns on the continent.

Kubilius did not lay out a specific timeline or target for closing the production gap in the remarks reported, nor did he specify which categories of military equipment he considers most urgently in need of expanded output.

The comments reflect a broader pattern of EU officials publicly acknowledging shortfalls in defense production capacity relative to Russia, a theme that has recurred in European policy discussions since the escalation of the war in Ukraine.