We need to do more, faster and together / Article

However, he points out: if war broke out tomorrow, Europe would be able to defend itself.

LTV journalist Ina Strazdiņa asked Pesonen what is being done to replenish Europe’s weapons stockpiles and how Brussels can help in this process.

Timo Pesonen: [Vladimira] Putin’s attack on Ukraine surprised us because we were not prepared for such a war in Europe. All combat abilities were extremely limited. And now when we see that it was neither a hybrid attack, nor a cyber attack, nor was the target only strategic infrastructure or military facilities, but it was an attack to occupy an entire country, a sovereign European land, it was a wake-up call for all of us. That is why we must first strengthen our defense industry capabilities so that we can produce and supply European armaments while remaining united in NATO.

Ina Strazdiņa: How to do it? And how can the European Union help in all this?

Timo Pesonen: What we are doing is mobilizing our defense industry. For example, when it comes to ammunition, we put forward a proposal, and some member states agreed, that we bring together in Europe the well-known 155 millimeter artillery ammunition capabilities available to us. Ukraine needs it very much.

We do this so that we can produce from half a million to a million rounds per year, and by the end of this year – two million and by the end of next year – up to two and a half million. But this is only one element. We should be able to operate in a similar way in other areas of weaponry – when talking about missiles, drones.

I have heard that entrepreneurs who work in the defense sector would like more support from the European Union – special funds, financing. Could this be expected?

I absolutely agree with them and hear it everywhere I go, that the defense industry needs funding. The European Commission is doing what it can within the budget and the Member States are doing the same. Public funding can be very important when there are gaps. Then the money of the European Union can come to the rescue, and it can give an incentive to private investors. We need banks, private banks, investors who also participate with support, and we need the European Investment Bank to change its lending policy. It hasn’t happened yet.

This will likely take time.

Yes, but it shouldn’t be. Because, in my opinion, the member states have already expressed themselves very clearly. The leaders of 14 countries have sent a letter to the European Investment Bank and the European Council. It has called on the bank to take action and the bank is working on the changes and I think the results should be there pretty soon.

But that’s what we’re worried about here, which is that Russia might be faster than us because it’s also arming itself.

Yes, of course, this has been a problem ever since the tragic day of February 24, when Russia attacked Ukraine and acted very quickly. It has a war economy. Putin has mobilized the entire country’s economy, the entire society for one goal – the war in Ukraine. We live in a democratic union, a transatlantic alliance, and this is completely different. We are already doing a lot, but I agree that we need to do more, faster and together. The member states are big enough to cope on their own, to pool the resources we have, this is how we can make a difference – support Ukraine and also strengthen our own defense.

All this has changed the common philosophy of the European Union, because we are a union of peace, but now this element of protection brings a completely different content. In your opinion, will all this in some way fundamentally change the European Union?

This is an extremely profound change, but on the other hand, we started with steel and coal. It was an agreement between France and Germany to end the war once and for all. They combined raw materials essential to the war machine.

On the one hand, this is a fundamental change, but if we look at history, our goal has always been to strengthen security and defense policy. But, yes, true, this is a new development. And citizens who are asking us to do more for safety and security must understand that this also has consequences, which is that it requires investment.

Which countries are currently the most capable in the defense sector in Europe?

France, Germany, Italy, Sweden also have a relatively large defense industry. But changes can be seen in all countries now. And also in Latvia. A lot of changes have been seen since the last time I was here. Latvia invests in innovative ways to support its industry.

And this is not only about drones, which are currently Latvia’s flagship, so to speak, but also other very interesting things, for example, in connection with the field of health. And it’s everywhere. Companies from different sectors are looking at what they can do to strengthen the European defense industry ecosystem.

What do you see as the strengths of us, the Baltic States, in the field of defense?

In drone technology in particular, without singling out any company, there are truly revolutionary world-class innovations here. And working together with the Ukrainians, they can really make a big difference in the battles.

The Baltics are strong in digital technologies, artificial intelligence, how to connect artificial intelligence with defense applications, what consequences, what opportunities. Also, people’s awareness of where we are geographically, here we don’t have to look at the map every day to make sure what can threaten us.

The country you know best, Finland, has recently joined NATO, and this is of great benefit to the security of our region. But how strong are you in the defense industry?

Finland is not as big a player as other countries – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden. But we have our own specifics, we produce armored vehicles, we are also becoming more active in the production of drones, we create digital applications. Of course, Finland also has its own contribution to the European security industry, but it also needs cooperation with other countries.

If, God forbid, the war would start tomorrow. Would we in Europe be able to defend ourselves?

We are capable. And we have the same determination as Zelensky. Half of Ukraine’s victory at the very beginning was the fighting spirit of President Zelensky. People followed him. He didn’t run away. He did not leave his country. Stayed and fought. And we also have this fighting spirit. Especially in northern Europe.