EXCLUSIVE: 7 years after Putin invaded Crimea, EU underspent on defence by $½ trillion

"We will remember them" - Remembrance Sunday, 13 November 2022

The UK exceeded the NATO minimum by $26.3bn in the same period

Montage © Facts4EU.Org

In an exclusive analysis of NATO data, Facts4EU.Org reveals the extent of the EU’s defence failures

In Sunday’s Facts4EU.Org defence special, we have analysed the latest official figures from NATO and can reveal the true extent of the EU’s unwillingness to pay for its own defence.

Since Putin’s illegal annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsular in early 2014, EU-NATO members have underspent the NATO minimum of 2% of GDP on defence by $581.5m (c. £490bn GBP).

Furthermore, 17 of the 21 EU countries that are also members of NATO are still estimated to be underspending the NATO minimum on defence in 2022 – the year of Putin’s illegal attempted invasion of the whole of Ukraine.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Underspend on defence according to NATO minimum 2% of GDP, 2014 - 2020

In billions of US dollars

UK : +$26.3
Germany : -$190.2
Italy : -$107.0
Spain : -$100.4
Netherlands : -$46.8
Belgium : -$37.8
France : -$31.3
EU NATO MEMBERS TOTAL UNDERSPEND : -$581.5 billion

[Source : NATO figures, 2014-2020, released 2022.]

Is it any wonder the EU are so keen to drag the UK into its Common Defence Policy?

On Friday we reported on the EU Commission’s delight that the UK Government of Rishi Sunak wishes to sign up to part of its “Permanent Structured Cooperation” (PESCO) common defence programme.

This is due to be ratified at a Council of Ministers meeting this coming week.

Given that the UK is the most powerful spender on its military in Europe, perhaps it is hardly surprising the EU wants the UK to be fully involved in its defence.

The UK is the biggest spender on defence in Europe

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

Germany’s economy is around 40% larger but spends less than the UK

Latest official NATO estimates for defence spending in 2022

[Source : NATO estimates for 2022.]

NATO recognises the UK’s contribution, even if the EU never says thank you

On Wednesday (09 Nov 2022) NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg visited No. 10 Downing Street for defence talks with the Prime Minister.

He thanked the United Kingdom for its key contributions to NATO and its strong support to Ukraine, including providing training to close to 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers over the last few years. This started in 2015 and the UK was the first country to step up. The UK continues to be the major provider of military training to President Zelenskyy’s forces.

Jens Stoltenberg went on to praise the UK for leading NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Estonia and for providing aircraft and ships to NATO patrols across the EU.

Observations

Over the years Facts4EU.Org has repeatedly drawn readers’ attention to the fact the EU has been woefully deficient in its defence spending, compared to the UK. The latest NATO figures we have analysed above simply reinforce and highlight the EU’s deficiencies even more.

Isn’t it about time the UK leveraged its military power in the EU?

Given that defence has become a major issue in Europe now, and has rapidly (and very belatedly) risen up the EU Commission’s agenda, is it not time the UK extracted concessions from the EU if it still desires the UK’s protection?

We propose that the UK Government tells the EU Commission that if it wishes the full military support of the United Kingdom, given the EU's inability to defend itself, that the Commission now drop its unworkable N.I. Protocol and all its other anti-British stances on a range of issues.

The UK’s military forces have proved themselves to be dependable and tough, every time they have been called upon.

Is it not time for the UK Government to be equally tough with the EU Commission?

Facts4EU.Org needs you today

We are a 'not for profit' team (we make a loss) and any payment goes towards the actual work, not plush London offices, lunch or taxi expenses, or other luxuries of some organisations.

We badly need more of our thousands of readers to become members, to support this work. Could this be you, today? Maybe you've been thinking about it, but just haven't got around to doing it? If so, let us reassure you. It's quick and easy and we use two highly secure payment providers. And we do NOT ask you for further support if you pay once - we just hope that you keep supporting us. Your membership stays anonymous unless you tell us otherwise.

Please don't assume that other people will keep us going - we don't receive enough to survive and we need your help today. Could you help us?

Most of our readers are well-informed and appreciate our fact-based articles, presented in a way you won't see anywhere else. We have far more to do in researching, publishing, campaigning and lobbying Parliament than we have in terms of the financial resources to fulfil these tasks. We badly need funding to continue - we rely 100% on public contributions from readers like you.

If you believe in a fully-free, independent, and sovereign United Kingdom, please join now. It’s quick, secure, and confidential, and you can use one of the links below or you can use our Support page here. You will receive a personal, friendly ‘thank you’ from a member of our team within 24 hours. Thank you for reading this.

[ Sources: NATO ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Remembrance Day, Sun 13 Nov 2022

Click here to go to our news headlines

Please scroll down to COMMENT on the above article.
And don't forget to actually post your message after you have previewed it!

Something to say about this? Scroll down for reader comments

Since before the EU Referendum, Brexit Facts4EU.Org
has been the most prolific researcher and publisher of Brexit facts in the world.

Supported by MPs, MEPs, & other groups, our work has impact.

We think facts matter. Please donate today, so that we can continue to ensure a clean Brexit is finally delivered.

Any credit card user

Quick One-off

From £5 - £1,000

Monthly

From £3 per month

Paypal Users Only - Choose amount first

Quick One-off

Monthly

PLEASE NOTE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT : You can write your comment under any existing comments below. After you have clicked to preview your comment, you MUST then click on the CAPTCHA system and send you comment, for it to be published. Thank you!

Reader Comments 9

1. terence patrick hewett , Sunday, November 13, 2022, 10:45:

If China attacks Taiwan, most of the heavy US military assets in the European theatre will be withdrawn and deployed to Asia. The UK has sacrificed it's bravest and best by the millions in the 20th century to defend this bunch of ungrateful collaborators: no longer - let them look to their own defence. It is debatable whether any government would get any European military involvement by the UK past parliament, given current sentiments - as Obama found out to his cost.

2. Buster , Sunday, November 13, 2022, 14:33:

This blog is pure comedy.
This miserable - and really rather desperate - attempt to show Britain is amazing and the EU is crap is beyond pathetic. But is also funny.
The reality is the rest of the world looks at Brexit Britain with pity. How did a once great country end up such a miserable mess?
Simple. We outsourced complex policy to a small group of mostly elderly racists who don’t seem to realise it isn’t 1950 anymore.
The worse part of it is that the rest of us have to share this small island with these pathetic Brexitist clowns.

3. Claire , Sunday, November 13, 2022, 15:30:

EU is normally big with words and weak with actions.

4. jon livesey , Sunday, November 13, 2022, 18:31:

If you can get your head out of your obsession with race and colour, the big picture here is that Germany, and therefore the EU, is no longer a reliable NATO partner. Having reunified, they are now willing to compromise with Russia over Eastern Europe, just for cheap energy. This is 1920's and Rapallo all over again. If you want to play at bing a geopolitical "analyst", this the UK choosing a side, and not choosing the EU. This is what taking back control looks like.

5. Buster , Sunday, November 13, 2022, 22:51:

Actually it’s less like the 1920s and more like the 1930’s. And you’re one of the guys in jackboots.
Just to clarify.

6. Mike S , Monday, November 14, 2022, 02:06:

And as typical Buster is as s typical, 'Brown Shirt" anti-anything, pro- British!
ste pointed it out in the other day about pro/anti EU! &:Buster & his, ill remembered,no difference!! Says it all!
Are you a kiddie fiddler like a lot of other EU ," asylum seekers?", Buster? Or do you support an unrestricted,, unchecked criminality upon our shores?!
Paedophilia Buster, perhaps!? Their advocate?
Paedophilia ? You a supporter of those scum?!?? You kinda sound like you are!!??
If wearing jackboots means the opposite to you, I'll take that, quite happily!!

7. Buster , Monday, November 14, 2022, 07:37:

Lol. Are you alright old chap? Missed your meds today? Why can so few of you far-right old clowns actually spell?

8. Adam , Monday, November 14, 2022, 15:25:

No one in the UK should tolerate having to protect an ungrateful EU from itself nor must Our Country be dragged into another American military adventure whilst there is a geriatric president who always enjoys sneering at this Country

9. ste , Monday, November 14, 2022, 18:57:

oh dear buster, so would you say that a 'regime' with unelected unaccountable leaders immune from prosecution is CLOSER or FURTHER away from the 3rd reich?, do you think free speech means nothing?

Add comment:

Please note: Your email address is never published unless you choose to enter it.