European Union (EU) leaders have been called upon to significantly boost defence spending as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged them to take action against adversaries without relying on US security. In a speech before the European Parliament, Tusk emphasized that Europe must be strong and defend itself to avoid repeating history.
Tusk pointed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Belarus’s migration campaign as reasons for increased military expenditure. He suggested an EU-wide debt issuance could finance this effort, which has been met with resistance from Germany and the Netherlands but support from Denmark.
The Polish prime minister also addressed energy prices and the Green Deal, a climate neutrality roadmap by 2050. He argued that some environmental regulations have driven up costs, hurting the bloc’s competitiveness. Tusk called for a “critical review” of the Green Deal to alleviate high energy bills, warning that they could lead to democratic governments being overthrown.
The EU Commission has promised to take action on decreasing energy prices while maintaining the original targets of the climate agreement.
Source: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/01/22/tusk-makes-passionate-plea-for-an-armed-europe-and-rails-against-the-green-deal