Europe has increased its defence spending since Russia invaded Ukraine, but its defence capabilities, including military personnel, are still insufficient, a British security think tank has warned.
The findings by the International Institute for Security Studies (IISS) come at a time when Donald Trump's return to the White House has raised fears he could shake European security and end support for war-torn Ukraine.
The IISS has published its latest report at a time when a defence summit is taking place in Prague, bringing together politicians, military representatives and other experts to discuss ways to strengthen Europe's defence posture.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 revealed numerous weaknesses in Europe's ability to defend itself, the IISS study said.
"Defence spending by European NATO members in 2024 is almost 50% higher than in 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea," it said.
Yet European armed forces "continue to rely on the United States to varying degrees in all military domains," the report warns.
Europe's arsenal was "severely depleted as a result of political decisions after the end of the Cold War and in the decades that followed. In the process, Europe's defence industry also shrank," the study reads.
But production in some sectors, including air defence and artillery, has increased significantly since 2022 as arms manufacturers respond to Ukraine's needs.
"For example, Rheinmetall's annual global production of 155mm ammunition has increased tenfold to 700,000," according to the study, which refers to the German arms giant.
European countries have also been buying more weapons from domestic manufacturers in recent years, as the continent's NATO members have used more than half of their spending on European systems since February 2022, against 34% spent on US systems.
Although weapons and ammunition production is growing, countries in Europe are struggling with a lack of military personnel, the IISS points out.
"Key European armed forces remain understrength ... too many continue to lose personnel while not sufficiently incentivising the younger generation to volunteer," the report said. | BGNES
