Brussels: The European Commission president urged EU member states to raise defense spending beyond 3% during a European Parliament debate on Tuesday. 'Today we spend just short of 2% of our GDP on defense. Every analysis agrees that we need to move north of 3%,' said Ursula von der Leyen.

According to Anadolu Agency, von der Leyen emphasized that since the EU's annual budget accounts for just over 1% of the bloc's GDP, member states must bear the responsibility for the majority of new defense investments. She highlighted past misconceptions about integrating Russia into Europe's economic and security framework and relying solely on American protection, stating, 'Some believed that Russia could be integrated in Europe's economic and security architecture. While others hoped that we could rely indefinitely on America's full protection. And so, we lowered our guard.'

Von der Leyen declared the 'time of illusions' over and called for the EU to enhance its self-defense capabilities. She stressed the urgent need to address gaps in Ukraine's military supplies and ensure solid security guarantees for Ukraine and Europe as a whole. 'Putin has proven time and again that he is a hostile neighbor. He cannot be trusted, he can only be deterred. And we know that Russia's military complex is outproducing ours,' von der Leyen stated, pointing out that the Kremlin's military expenditure surpasses that of all European countries combined.

In closing, von der Leyen expressed a desire for more peaceful times but remained confident in Europe's ability to 'unleash our industrial power' to restore deterrence against adversaries. 'We all wish we could live in more peaceful times. But I am confident that, if we unleash our industrial power, we can restore deterrence against those who seek to do us harm,' she concluded.