The European Commission previewed a proposal this week to create a €100 billion, or about $109 billion, defense fund to build out the bloc’s military industrial base, but earned criticism from some European leaders.
The proposal is aimed at making the European Union more self-reliant in providing arms, ammunition, and defense technology to its members. Officials backing the proposal said the fund is necessary to counter Moscow, a major concern of E.U. bloc members after Russia invaded Ukraine two years ago.
“In response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the E.U. must bolster its defense capabilities,” E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said recently.
The plan would require unanimous approval from E.U. member countries. French President Emmanuel Macron has long supported a more centralized approach to defense from the E.U. Many of the bloc’s members have expressed…
