European defence sector needs access to ‘significant’ funding, says Dutch minister – Europe live

Kajsa Ollongren says ‘we have to unlock the potential of the defence industry’ and calls for a dedicated defence commissioner

The Dutch defence minister, Kajsa Ollongren, said this morning that “we have to unlock the potential of the European defence industry.”

We must learn lessons from the war in Ukraine and invest in the security of Europeans, fight fragmentation by joint arms procurement and promote cross-border production. The defence sector must have access to significant public and private finance and investment.