DISINFO: Russian defence industry is much stronger than Europe's
SUMMARY
European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said that behind Kyiv, there is an entire defence industry in Europe which is superior to Russia's. Last year, Russia spent 64 billion Euros on its defence, while the EU spent 240 billion. But none of this is true.
Ironically, the European defence industry is so “strong” that it was demolished in the middle of the war while the Russians were quietly sipping their coffee on the terrace! Thierry Breton should learn to tell the truth because his words are nothing but lies.
RESPONSE
Hahaganda targeted at European Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton.
The provisional Russian defence budget was set at 4,981,606.2 million rubles for 2023, approximately 50 billion euros. The International Institute for Strategic Studies reported that the total defence expenditure of the 27 Member States in 2022 amounted to €240 billion.
The EU and its Member States have collectively delivered more than EUR 28 billion worth of military equipment to Ukraine. The European defence technological and industrial base is competitive at the global level, with an estimated annual turnover of EUR 70 billion. Overall, it is estimated to employ around 500,000 people.
The European defence industry is gradually increasing its production and cooperation to address the security threat posed by the Kremlin. One and a half billion euros have been allocated to assist industrialists in the sector to collaborate more effectively and increase production within Europe. The programme and the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS), also reflect the desire to reindustrialise the sector in Europe after decades of underinvestment following the Cold War.
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