The 23 EU members who also belong to NATO are likely to agree to raise the defence spending target above the current 2% of national output at a June summit of the alliance that will set a new level, European Council President Antonio Costa said.

The European Union's member states need to increase defence spending to keep pace with the threats facing the continent, its foreign policy chief has warned. Kaja Kallas, who served as prime minister of Estonia until July 2024, said "every euro spent on school, healthcare and welfare [was] vulnerable" if the bloc didn't maintain strong defences.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that NATO and the European Union should increase defense spending. This is due to the threat from the Russian shadow navy, Tagesschau reports. According to Scholz, European NATO and EU countries should continue to increase their defense spending.