EDA finds defence gaps Köppel sees EU mistrust

Sep 28

Weltwoche describes a European Defence Agency assessment finding serious capability gaps and fragmentation despite rising defence spending. It says only 13 percent of investment is joint against a 40 percent goal for 2030, and identifies insufficient cooperation on aerial refuelling, air defence, reconnaissance, ammunition and counter-drone capabilities. The report warns that no member state can reach the readiness objective alone and that dependence on the United States persists. Köppel interprets national procurement as evidence that states distrust one another’s support, draws an analogy with border restrictions during Covid, and argues they prefer U.S. dependence to a dysfunctional EU. His broader criticism of rearmament remains his interpretation, rather than an agency finding.

The European Defence Agency’s first annual defence-readiness assessment warns that increased spending has not closed significant capability gaps. Weltwoche reports a 13 percent joint-investment share against a 40 percent objective for 2030, insufficient cooperation in key capabilities, continued U.S. dependence and a warning that no EU state can achieve readiness alone. Köppel interprets this as national mistrust and criticizes EU dysfunction; those conclusions are his, rather than confirmed agency findings.