Two top European commanders warn ‘hard choices’ needed from public on arms spending to deter Russia
Two top European commanders warn ‘hard choices’ needed from public on arms spending to deter Russia
Brad Lendon, CNNMon, February 16, 2026 at 4:44 AM UTC
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(From left) Germany’s chief of defense, Gen. Carsten Breuer, and the UK’s chief of defense staff, Air Marshal Sir Richard Knighton - SIPA/Getty Images
Defense chiefs from two major US allies have issued a rare public plea for people across Europe to support big boosts in defense spending to deter a possible war with an increasingly westward-looking Russia.
The highest-ranking officials from Germany and the United Kingdom warned that European nations “must now confront uncomfortable truths” about its security and make “hard choices” about spending in an article jointly published by The Guardian in the UK and Die Welt in Germany.
“Moscow’s military buildup, combined with its willingness to wage war on our continent, as painfully evidenced in Ukraine, represents an increased risk that demands our collective attention,” Germany’s chief of defense, Gen. Carsten Breuer, and the UK’s chief of defense staff, Air Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, wrote.
“Moscow’s intentions range wider than the current conflict,” the pair added, arguing that the pubic must get behind increased defense spending, even if it means other public service programs – the “peace dividend” from the end of the Cold War – might suffer.
Over the past decade, member states of the European Union – of which the UK is not a member – have already doubled their defense expenditures, but more spending is needed, the defense chiefs argued.
“It’s clear that the threats we face demand a step change in our defence and security,” the pair wrote.
“Rearmament is not warmongering; it is the responsible action of nations determined to protect their people and preserve peace,” they said.
The article comes on the heels of the weekend’s Munich Security Conference, where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on Europe to assume more responsibility for its own defense after relying for decades on Washington’s help as the backbone of its security.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks during the 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) in Munich, Germany, on February 14, 2026. - Thomar Kienzle/AFP/Getty Images
The defense chiefs’ article notes that NATO leaders have already committed to spending 5% of gross domestic product on defense by 2035.
“People must understand the difficult choices governments have to take in order to strengthen deterrence,” the two defense chiefs wrote.
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But even in their own countries, the message may be a tough sell.
Only about 25% of Britons favor higher taxes to fund defense spending or cuts to public service to direct more money to arms, according to a January poll by the YouGov research firm.
In Germany, only 24% of the public favors increased defense spending if other programs would suffer, according to a recent Politico poll.
That skeptical public will have to be won over to achieve a key goal the chiefs put forth: “a whole-of-society approach” to defense.
“Defence cannot be the preserve of uniformed personnel alone. It is a task for each and every one of us,” they wrote.
Besides the pledge to increase defense spending, the defense chiefs said their countries are taking concrete steps to improve readiness and deterrence, with Britian building six new munitions factories and Germany repositioning troops near its eastern border.
The British Defense Ministry also announced over the weekend that it will send an aircraft carrier strike group led by the HMS Prince of Wales to the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans this year “to deter Russian aggression and protect vital undersea infrastructure.”
The strike group, which will include the carrier’s F-35 fighter jets, will work with US, European and Canadian forces during its deployment, a ministry statement said.
“This deployment will help make Britain warfighting ready, boost our contribution to NATO, and strengthen our operations with key allies, keeping the UK secure at home and strong abroad,” Defense Secretary John Healy said in a statement.
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Source: “AOL Breaking”
