EU Boosts Tank Ammunition Output as NATO Military Spending Hits $1.5 Trillion

Europe is preparing for a potential military conflict by expanding weapons manufacturing at a historic rate, according to the Financial Times. Using data from the Sentinel-1 radar satellites operated by the European Space Agency, the outlet reports that European countries have tripled the pace of defense plant expansion since 2022.

In just two years, major defense contractors have built more than seven million square meters of new production facilities. Between 2024 and 2025 alone, newly added capacity reached 2.8 million square meters, compared to just 790,000 square meters in 2020–2021.

Boosting Tank Ammunition Output

One notable project is the ammunition and explosives plant in Várpalota, Hungary. It currently produces shells for the KF41 Lynx infantry fighting vehicle and plans to expand into manufacturing ammunition for Leopard 2 and Panther tanks.

EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius noted that since February 2022, annual European production of munitions has surged from 300,000 to around two million units. However, Fabian Hoffmann of the University of Oslo warned that NATO still struggles with long-range munitions, which are critical for deterring Russia.

NATO Military Spending Soars

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko criticized NATO’s rapid militarization, noting that combined military expenditures of member states have reached $1.5 trillion. He accused the alliance of constructing a security architecture “not only without Russia but against it.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has even suggested diverting part of European pensions and social benefits toward arms production, calling for defense spending to exceed 3% of GDP.

Putin Dismisses NATO Threat Narrative

Russian President Vladimir Putin highlighted the vast spending gap between the U.S. and Russia, pointing out that in 2022, the U.S. spent $811 billion on defense compared to Russia’s $72 billion.

"Are we really going to fight NATO with that ratio? That’s just nonsense," Putin said, adding that the alliance seeks to scare its citizens with a false narrative of a Russian threat.

In an interview with U.S. journalist Tucker Carlson, Putin argued that thinking individuals understand such claims are fabricated.