Europe isn’t ready to fight a war, despite spending billions on defence
Pledging to spend money alone can’t build a standing army.
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
(From left) German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, German Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil and German Economy and Energy Minister Katherina Reiche.
PHOTO: AFP
When the leaders of NATO, the US-led military alliance in Europe, arrive for their annual summit early next week in the Turkish capital of Ankara, they will have much to brag about.
Europe is spending on defence at a rate not seen since the Cold War. And although European governments may disagree on many things, they are largely united in their determination to ramp up their defence spending and bolster their armed forces.
