Kubilius on defense: ‘The EU is not ready; production capacity is at 50 percent’

Brussels – The European Union is not ready. The Defense Commissioner, Andrius Kubilius, is leveraging this to push for military industrial production. Defense is not really a game; quite the opposite. Still, Kubilius wants to emphasize the fact that such a delicate issue should not be taken lightly when he denounces the delays of a Europe that is nowhere to be found. “Russia alone in one year produces more ammunition than all NATO member states,” he reminds the audience of the 5th European Security and Defense Conference. As the EU, he warns, “we are not capable of defending ourselves against drones” and “we only have 50 percent of the production capacity we need” to build deterrence and a response to the threats, now felt mainly in the east. 

“[Russian President Vladimir] Putin does not want peace,” continues Kubilius, sharpening his rhetoric against Moscow as much as he can during his speech. The benchmark is now Russia, the measuring stick of European capabilities and ambitions. This is not surprising, given that the Kremlin has been the sworn enemy since it decided to invade Ukraine on a large scale in February 2022 and that the White Book on Defense identifies the Russian Federation as an existential threat to the EU.

Defense Commissioner, Andrius Kubilius [Brussels, October 14, 2025]

“If we do not change pace in 2030, we will not be able to respond to attacks under Article 5″ of the NATO Treaty, the Defense Commissioner warns again. There is, in essence, no immediate response capability, and this is something Kubilius intends to work on. He does not specify when, but promises that “soon” he will present the proposal for a proper EU military mobility. “Currently, we need a 45-day notice to request and authorize the movement of military convoys between member states: Putin will not wait for our authorizations,” he insists, once again pointing eastward, reinforcing, yet again, the almost paranoid and increasingly obsessive atmosphere surrounding the enemy.

However, the European Union has decided: there is no going back. If anything, it is going ahead in the new rearmament race. After all, Kubilius quotes two principles, the first referring to ancient Rome, the second to World War II: “If you want peace, prepare for war,” says the first. “Battles are won by generals, but wars are won by industry,” reads the second. The von der Leyen Commission, therefore, makes these sayings its own and combines them in its call to industry for a new page of Europe, with an underlying Orwellian flavor: “War is peace” and “strength is power” are two slogans that are well suited to the EU and the world today.