Pekka Toveri (EPP) delivers a powerful reminder: Europe cannot afford to ignore the Russian threat. Drawing on the painful history of countries like Finland, Estonia, and Poland, he rejects the notion that diplomacy alone can stop aggression. Toveri stresses the need for continued defence investments to ensure Europe’s security and protect future generations. Highlighting the real power behind Russia’s defence budget, he urges Europe to stay on course. Watch to understand why he believes defence readiness is not optional—it’s essential.

    • Railcar8095@lemm.eeEnglish
      4·
      1 day ago

      I think the problem might not be how much they spent, but what they are doing with it. Unless I’m mistaken, the real cost of the war people care about are Ukrainian civilians, not rubles.

    • CAVOK@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      121·
      2 days ago

      Care to give an example of an EU country that illegally annexed part of another country in the last 80 years or so?

      • shaserlark@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        89·
        2 days ago

        I think Russia is an imperialist monster and as such a threat to Europe, but most some of Europe illegally invaded Iraq & Lybia and they deliver weapons and are mostly pro-Israel. So we’re not better we’re just not attacking our direct neighbors anymore.

        So the top-level comment does have a point but only because we’re hypocrites

        • wieson@feddit.orgEnglish
          101·
          2 days ago

          Let’s take all EU+ former EU+ eea countries = 31 countries

          2003 invasion of Iraq:

          USA, UK, Australia, Poland

          2/31 = not most

          Intervention in Libya 2011:

          12/31 = still not most

            • aeshna_cyanea@lemm.eeEnglish
              1·
              16 hours ago

              and yet in this very same thread people are perfectly willing to bomb Russian civilians because they share responsibility because they live in the same country. Somehow this doesn’t apply between countries in the EU, curious

              • shaserlark@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
                1·
                14 hours ago

                Yeah I never really thought this specific hypocrisy through because it never occurred to me personally that it would be okay to ever bomb civilians, but I think you’re right. It’s a horrifying thing to think about really, but that is the level of warmongering we have reached. I actually really don’t see how it’s any better. European civilians wishing death to Russian civilians for wishing death to Ukrainian civilians. We Europeans will be able to justify why it’s okay when we do it and bad when others do it, as always. But no matter the explanation the result is the same, someone wishes people dead.

    • Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      92·
      2 days ago

      @index@sh.itjust.works

      European countries combined already spend tree times more in war than russia

      Your statement is outright false as Russia overtakes all of Europe on defense spending in key metric

      Based on one key economic metric, Russian defense spending eclipsed all other European countries combined last year and is projected to increase further in 2025, according to a leading defense think tank […]

      Moscow’s military expenditure spiked by over 40 percent to almost $146 billion in the past year, equivalent to 6.7 percent GDP, and is on track to hit 7.5 percent GDP in 2025. When adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), Russia spent nearly $462 billion in 2024, effectively leapfrogging Europe’s collective spending.

      An important detail in the article is imo:

      [Bastian Giegerich, IISS Director-General] also said that the conflict had “demonstrated increasing connections between European and Asia Pacific security” which included North Korea entering the conflict by deploying 10,000 troops, China’s decision to sell dual-use technologies to Russia […]

      Your statement that Europe has “nukes staked illegally all over the place” is as false as the link you provided is pointless. There’s nothing illegal except Russia’s aggression and invasion of Ukraine.

        • Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
          92·
          2 days ago

          According to the former Italian President Francesco Cossiga, Italy’s role in a planned retaliation consisted in striking with those nuclear weapons Czechoslovakia and Hungary had the Warsaw Pact waged nuclear war against NATO. He acknowledged the presence of U.S. nuclear weapons in Italy, and speculated about the possible presence of British and French nuclear weapons."

          The former Czechoslovakia has emerged in two countries (Czech Republic and Slovakia, just in case you don’t know), the Warsaw Pact dissolved more than 30 years ago. Francesco Cossiga was Italian President in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

          And these are just three of your many weird statements that are completly irrelevant regarding Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine that started in 2014. Your false and obviously misleading statements discredit you.

          You may wish to read a history book or two instead of the communities where you read this rubbish.