Readiness 2030 (formerly ReArm Europe) is a strategic defense initiative proposed by

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...

president

Ursula von der Leyen Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (; ; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician, serving as president of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the Cabinet of Germany, German federal government between 2005 and 2019, holding position ...

on 4 March 2025, aimed at enhancing the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

's military capabilities. It was unveiled in a letter to European leaders ahead of a

European Council The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body (directorial system) and a symbolic collective head of state, that defines the overall political direction and general priorities of the European Union (EU). It is composed of the he ...

meeting on 6 March 2025. The plan seeks to mobilize up to €800 billion to strengthen Europe's defense infrastructure in response to geopolitical threats, notably the ongoing

war in Ukraine The Russo-Ukrainian War began in February 2014 and is ongoing. Following Ukraine's Revolution of Dignity, Russia Russian occupation of Crimea, occupied and Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation, annexed Crimea from Ukraine. It then ...

and uncertainties over U.S. military support. Following criticism from Italian prime minister

Giorgia Meloni Giorgia Meloni (; born 15 January 1977) is an Italian politician who has served as Prime Minister of Italy since 2022. She is the first woman to hold the office. A member of the Chamber of Deputies (Italy), Chamber of Deputies since 2006, s ...

and Spanish prime minister

Pedro Sánchez Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón (; born 29 February 1972) is a Spanish politician who has served as Prime Minister of Spain since 2018. He has also been Secretary-General of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) since July 2017, having p ...

, the initiative was rebranded as Readiness 2030.

Background

Announced amid heightened security concerns, the plan addresses the need for Europe to reduce reliance on external allies, particularly following the U.S. suspension of military aid to Ukraine. Following recent discussions, including a 2025 London Summit on Ukraine two days prior to the announcement, European capitals have signalled a unified commitment to massively increase defence investments. The Readiness 2030 plan is structured around five key components designed to mobilise both public and private resources, with an estimated potential to unlock nearly €800 billion for European security over the coming years. Von der Leyen emphasised the urgency of rearming Europe, calling it a response to "a clear and present danger" unprecedented in recent decades. Canada announced that it would participate in the initiative in the

2025 speech from the throne The speech from the throne, Speech from the Throne of the Parliament of Canada took place on May 27, 2025, when Charles III, King of Canada, opened the new Legislative session, session of the 45th Canadian Parliament, which was the first after th ...

Components

The initiative consists of five key measures: # Fiscal Flexibility: Suspend EU budget rules to allow

member states A member state is a state that is a member of an international organization or of a federation or confederation. Since the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) include some members that are not sovereign states ...

to increase

defense spending A military budget (or military expenditure), also known as a defense budget, is the amount of financial resources dedicated by a state to raising and maintaining an armed forces or other methods essential for defense purposes. Financing militar ...

, potentially unlocking €650 billion over four years. # Defence Loans: Offer €150 billion in loans for joint defense projects, such as

air An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosph ...

and missile defense systems. # Budget Repurposing: Redirect existing EU funds, like cohesion funds, toward defense investments. #

European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the 27 member states. It is the largest multilateral financial institution in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt sol ...

(EIB) Role: Lift EIB lending restrictions to support defence firms. # Savings Union: Create a mechanism to mobilize private capital for defence, boosting investment in the sector.

Objectives

The plan aims to enhance Europe's self-reliance in defence, support Ukraine militarily, and prepare for uncertainty in relations with the United States. It will first focus on collective procurement and investment in critical European needs, like drones and

artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

technologies.

References

External links

Press statement by President von der Leyen on the defence package
{{2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Reactions Military training missions of the European Union Military operations of the Russian invasion of Ukraine 2025 in the European Union Ukraine–European Union relations Ursula von der Leyen European Union security policy Military of the European Union Common Security and Defence Policy

Background

Components

Objectives

See also

References

External links