Luxembourg Defence Minister Yuriko Backes has emphasised the urgent need for increased defence spending amid rising geopolitical tensions, reaffirming the country's commitment to reaching 2% of its Gross National Income (GNI) in defence by 2030.
In an interview with RTL, Defence Minister Yuriko Backes on Monday delved into the current geopolitical tensions by underscoring the real danger that Russia's invasion of Ukraine poses for Europe. Backes explained that the main danger lies in the violation of territorial integrity, so much so that a collective defence effort is now required to prevent this principle from being flouted.
For this reason, there are ever more urgent calls for investments in defence, with Luxembourg committed to reach 2% of its Gross National Income (GNI) in defence spending by 2030. Backes described these investments as a necessity, contending that they currently take precedence over infrastructure and housing.
However, details on how to reach the 2% aim in defence spending are still unclear.
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Backes considers defence and national resilience as domains that go beyond the confines of the Defence Ministry, instead stressing the responsibility of the government as a whole. However, there is currently no plan of budget cuts to allow additional investments in defence, according to Backes.
Addressing the matter of common debt issuance at the EU-level, Backes sees no current opening for such an initiative due to the lack of unanimity, although she deems it a necessary discussion. Backes considers the recent revision of the dual-use strategy of the European Investment Bank as an important sign, prioritising software and technology with both civilian and military applications.
Ahead of a special summit between European leaders to be held in Brussels on Thursday, Backes stated that it is currently uncertain what the result of the meeting will be, though one thing is clear: Europe will continue its unwavering support for Ukraine, with every investment in Ukraine's defence deemed as an investment into European security and defence.
