Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has forced Europe to confront a difficult question: is the continent prepared to defend itself if conflict spreads further. For decades, the European Union relied heavily on diplomacy, economic cooperation, and security guarantees through NATO. That strategy helped maintain stability after the Cold War, but the war in Ukraine has shaken many of those assumptions.
Today, European leaders are accelerating efforts to strengthen defence capabilities while also continuing support for Ukraine. In late 2025, EU governments approved a €90 billion financial package to assist Kyiv. At the same time, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced new defence initiatives aimed at improving Europe’s military readiness by 2030. The sense of urgency has grown as warnings from political and military leaders become more direct. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly signaled that Moscow is prepared for a prolonged confrontation with the West. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned that Russia could threaten NATO territory within the next five years. Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius also cautioned that Europe may have already experienced its “last summer of peace.”
Despite the growing concern among governments, public opinion across Europe shows less enthusiasm for military involvement. A Euronews survey asking whether people would fight to defend EU borders found that about 75 percent of respondents said they would not. Only 19 percent said they would be willing to fight, highlighting a clear gap between political planning and public sentiment. Countries closest to Russia have responded most actively. Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, and Sweden have introduced new civil defence measures, expanded military training, and increased public awareness campaigns. Sweden, for example, distributed updated emergency preparedness guides to households, while Lithuania has explored building “drone walls” along its borders.
At the EU level, defence coordination is also expanding. European military spending surpassed €300 billion in 2024, and the bloc has proposed major new investments in defence infrastructure and weapons production. Programs such as ReArm Europe aim to encourage joint procurement and strengthen the continent’s defence industry. However, experts warn that structural problems remain, including slow procurement processes and fragmented defence systems. Europe is now racing to modernize its military capacity, maintain unity among member states, and adapt to a changing security environment. The central question is no longer whether Europe should prepare for conflict, but whether it can do so quickly enough.
