The economic warfare against Canada and Mexico also starts tomorrow. Hopefully, future EU countermeasures excludes Canada and Mexico (as well as Norway). The rest of the West needs to band together now.
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The EU already made some new deals with Mexico and Canada in January afaik.
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Europeans say more should be done to help Ukraine, but that help should come from someone else, not from them.
For those who don’t want to open X, here is another link:
(…)
The first part of this ReArm Europe plan is to unleash the use of public funding in defence at national level. Member States are ready to invest more in their own security if they have the fiscal space. And we must enable them to do so. This is why we will shortly propose to activate the national escape clause of the Stability and Growth Pact. It will allow Member States to increase significantly their defence expenditures without triggering the Excessive Deficit Procedure. For example: If Member States would increase their defence spending by 1,5% of GDP on average this could create fiscal space of close to EUR 650 billion over a period of four years.
The second proposal will be a new instrument. It will provide EUR 150 billion of loans to Member States for defence investment. This is basically about spending better – and spending together. We are talking about pan-European capability domains. For example: air and missile defence, artillery systems, missiles and ammunition drones and anti-drone systems; but also to address other needs from cyber to military mobility for example. It will help Member States to pool demand and to buy together. Of course, with this equipment, Member States can massively step up their support to Ukraine. So, immediate military equipment for Ukraine. This approach of joint procurement will also reduce costs, reduce fragmentation increase interoperability and strengthen our defence industrial base. And it can be to the benefit of Ukraine, as I have just described. So this is Europe’s moment, and we must live up to it.
Third point is using the power of the EU budget. There is a lot that we can do in this domain in the short term to direct more funds towards defence-related investments. This is why I can announce that we will propose additional possibilities and incentives for Member States that they will decide, if they want to use cohesion policy programmes, to increase defence spending.
The last two areas of action aim at mobilising private capital by accelerating the Savings and Investment Union and through the European Investment Bank.
To conclude: Europe is ready to assume its responsibilities. ReArm Europe could mobilise close to EUR 800 billion for a safe and resilient Europe. We will continue working closely with our partners in NATO. This is a moment for Europe. And we are ready to step up.
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I’ll see it before I believe it. It’s been 3 years since Putin’s invasion, and the EU is still having meetings and repeating the same commitments of 2022. Meanwhile, the Bundeswehr’s readiness level is below the Russian army’s 3 years ago. Granted, there wasn’t an unhinged sellout in charge of America then, but intransigence, complacency and inertia have been a timeless feature of EU politics.
Actions speak louder than words.
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Hungary and Slovakia are going to block as much as they can
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Completely agree with that. But the ruthlessness nature of trumpism on the one hand, and putinism on the other hand, will put an end to that I think. At some point, the penny had to drop, and it seems to me as if this moment has happened.
Committing 800 billions to common defence projects isn’t to be scoffed at. With the help of the UK, Europe could in time become a genuine heavyweight on the international scene. Hopefully we’ll see that scenario unfold. I for one don’t want to live in a putinist/trumpist world.
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The interesting thing is that on the military side, the idea is to circumvene these reluctant countries by allowing the ‘willing’ countries to go ahead with new defence projects.
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@toro , I deleted your former post, as this is really nothing but trolling. Be aware that further posts like that one won’t be tolerated.
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Yeah, I’m aware, Coalition of the willing, just not sure how much of that package that can be applied to (haven’t really looked into it yet tbh)
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If this gets done,how long before Trump takes credit for it?
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The EU , Britain and any other nation involved needs to be pressed by their population, for guarantees that not one pound/euro/any other currency will be heading stateside, you want to talk tough, then start being tough by stop spending money to the american military industrial complex.
If they do send it to usa companies, then russia may as well just steamroll into europe as at least wed know its under a dictatorship and not under the illusion of a fake democracy.
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What I find strange is that there is no mention of the confiscated Russian funds which could be so helpful for this financement.
Cowardice, that’s why.
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Which cowardice? These funds are frozen, and are at disposal. Use them.
But I suppose there must be forces opposing to that. Maybe from the banks where that money is? I’ve really no clue.
Cowardice from the political leaders.
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Cheers for this link. So, the EU can’t use the confiscated Russian money because it’s against international law. Now I get it, thanks. 
Oh please. They could do it if they want. It’s not like Russia gives a fuck about International Law and that’s why that money is frozen in the first place.
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