European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius said Friday that Russia continues to outproduce the European Union militarily.
The warning comes as the EU struggles to scale its industrial capacity to match Russian output, raising concerns about the long-term security of the continent's eastern flank.
In an interview with Euronews, Kubilius said that Europe is not moving fast enough to close the production gap. He specifically highlighted the disparity in munitions, noting that Russia produces twice as many artillery shells as all EU countries combined [2].
This industrial imbalance persists despite 20 rounds of sanctions intended to degrade Russian military capabilities. While some reports suggest these sanctions have created cracks in the Russian economy, the actual output of weaponry remains a significant challenge for the bloc [2].
To address these shortages, some member states are pursuing aggressive financing. Poland and Lithuania are preparing to finalize nearly €50 billion [1] in defence loans to bolster their respective military readiness.
The urgency of the situation is underscored by the timing of the comments. Russia's Victory Day parade is scheduled for May 9, 2026 [3] — an event often used to showcase military hardware and strategic strength.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė added a sharper critique of the Western response. She said that Russia is mocking the U.S. [4].
Kubilius said the current pace of European defence spending and production must accelerate to ensure the EU can deter further aggression.
“Russia is still outproducing us militarily.”
The disparity in artillery production suggests that while the EU possesses advanced technology, it lacks the industrial scale of a wartime economy. The reliance on massive loans by frontline states like Poland and Lithuania indicates a shift toward rapid, debt-funded militarization to compensate for a slow centralized EU procurement process.
