European Parliament supports increase in 2024 defense budget
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According to a compromise agreement reported by Euractiv, the parliament would like to see a 625 million euro ($667 million) boost for the European Defense Fund (EDF), as well as an additional 45 million euro for military mobility.
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Lawmakers voting on an Artificial Intelligence Act on June 14, 2023, in Strasbourg, eastern France. (AP)
According to the Euractiv news website, the European Parliament has endorsed the European Commission's plan to increase defense spending in the 2024 budget.
According to a compromise agreement reported by Euractiv, the parliament would like to see a 625 million ($667 million) euro boost for the European Defense Fund (EDF), as well as an additional 45 million euros for military mobility.
The agreement is an addition to the European Commission's initial budget proposal, according to the news website, adding that the EDF will amount to 1,263 billion euros, while the military mobility program will benefit from 286 million euros in the coming year if the proposal is approved by the European Council.
The European Commission stated in June that Europe's continued assistance for Ukraine and its refugees will be reviewed in the next assessment of the EU's long-term budget for 2021-2027.
Weapons supplies depleted
In mid-July, France's Parliament passed a bill aimed at increasing military spending, which would allocate a record amount of 413 billion euros ($460 billion) in 2024-2030.
In January this year, French President Emmanuel Macron said that military spending in France would increase considerably for the 2024-2030 cycle.
Last December, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell expressed that the bloc had run out of military stockpiles as it provided Ukraine with an overwhelming amount of military support.
Germany as well, is prepared to support Ukraine for the next decade, even if the conflict with Russia drags on, Brigadier General Christian Freuding said, adding that Germany is committed to helping Ukraine regain all the annexed territories it lost to Russia.
At the Yalta European Strategy (YES) forum on Sunday, when asked if Germany was prepared to support Ukraine if the war with Russia became a long-term conflict, Freuding said that it was unrealistic to expect the conflict to end soon.
