At a high-level defence meeting in Cartagena, Josep Borrell warned that Europe would face a supply crisis if arms-exporting countries halted sales. The former Spanish minister and former European Commission vice-president said Europe depends on foreign powers for weapons.
Borrell spoke at a meeting of the Consejo Asesor del Clúster de la Industria de Defensa (CID) at the Club Naval de Oficiales de Cartagena. More than fifty senior military officers, defence executives and industry leaders attended to discuss weaknesses in Spain’s and Europe’s defence sectors. Information from SIPRI, European NATO members increased their imports of major weaponry by nearly 150% between 2020 and 2025 compared with the previous five-year period.
Borrell was blunt. “If tomorrow the countries that sell us armaments stop doing so, we will have none,” he said. He put Europe’s reliance on outside suppliers at 60% of its defence industry needs and singled out the United States. Washington, he warned, is tired of paying for Europe’s security and sending Americans to fight in foreign wars. “The Americans are tired of paying for our weapons and sending their people to die in wars that are not theirs.” Independent research shows EU countries buy less than half of their basic armaments within the Union, with about a third coming from the US. Investigate Europe has noted that the exact 60% figure for the defence industry as a whole is unconfirmed.
Borrell also criticized Europe’s lack of unity and the gap in military strength. Germany is arming quickly, while other European countries lag far behind. “Germany is now the fifth largest arms holder in the world, but the rest of Europe is at a huge distance,” he said. Borrell recalled his failed push for a 5,000-strong EU rapid intervention force. It never materialized. “There is no emergency military unit to respond to incidents in Europe, and so, there will never be a European army.” Germany’s military spending has soared since Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. The ranking depends on whether military strength is measured by spending, stockpiles or overall power.
Admiral General (ret.) Fernando García Sánchez, president of the CID advisory council and former JEMAD, summed up the meeting’s conclusions and called for urgent action. Small and medium-sized businesses must join the defence sector, and the armed forces need more investment. García Sánchez said the CID should lead Spain’s defence industry and ensure companies can supply all three branches of the military. The idea of a 5,000-strong European rapid deployment force reflects earlier EU discussions. It remains a concept, and no formal document details Borrell’s plan.
The Cartagena meeting drew a heavyweight crowd. Alfonso Bourgon, president of the Clúster de la Industria de Defensa, attended, along with Rear Admirals Nicolás Monereo and Antonio González. Tomás Martínez Pagán, president of the Federación Regional de Empresarios del Metal de Murcia (FREMM), joined the talks, as did Andrés Baraza, CEO of Integralia, and Jesús Martínez, president of INDUTEC. Europe cannot assume foreign partners will always deliver. SIPRI and other research groups identify the US as the basic outside supplier. European NATO countries signed major defence contracts worth about $366.7 billion from 2020 to 2025. Roughly $111 billion, almost a third, went to American companies.
The push for European defence autonomy is not new; it follows moves in other basic sectors. As reported earlier, Spanish leaders have also backed homegrown aerospace projects to reduce reliance on outside suppliers. Without an industrial plan and serious investment in local capabilities, Europe could be caught off guard in the next crisis. Analysts warn that if US priorities change, Europe’s dependence on American defence firms could grow, with the greatest risks in maintenance, ammunition and spare parts, as well as air defence systems.
Europe’s fragmented approach to defence procurement and reliance on imported weapons remain pressing concerns. Policymakers have put off difficult choices about military autonomy for too long. Without its own industrial base, Europe will remain vulnerable. The European Defence Agency has set up a €7 billion European Defence Fund for joint research and new capabilities. The SAFE program offers €150 billion in preferential loans to boost production and joint procurement in Europe. In 2025, EU countries spent €418 billion on defence, equivalent to 2.2% of their combined GDP. Only 24% of defence equipment spending was conducted jointly, below the European Defence Agency’s 35% benchmark.
