Nikola Minchev calls for smarter EU defense spending

European Union Member States are increasing defense spending, but MEP Nikola Minchev argues that current spending lacks efficiency due to a lack of joint procurement mechanisms. Minchev noted that while the EU has successfully created a single market in other sectors, a unified defense market is still missing. He highlighted that many countries continue to make military purchases individually to protect their own domestic defense industries, which maintains fragmentation in the European defense sector despite recommendations from the European Defence Agency.

Discussions are also underway regarding the integration of Ukraine’s defense industry into the European framework prior to its potential EU membership, which could expand European production capacity.

Separately, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Kyiv did not receive timely warnings regarding a Russian ballistic missile strike. While Washington denied interrupting intelligence sharing, the Ukrainian military reported difficulties with drone operations due to restrictions on the Starlink system.