EU military chief: Europe must accelerate defence build-up

Europe needs to speed up efforts to strengthen its military capabilities despite sharply higher defence spending, according to Seán Clancy, chairman of the EU Military Committee. In an interview with the Czech News Agency, Clancy said Europe was making progress but was catching up after roughly two decades of underinvestment. Priorities include air defence, air-to-air refuelling, drones and artificial intelligence. EU member states spent a combined EUR 415 billion on defence and security last year, equivalent to 2.2 percent of GDP. Clancy said this is expected to rise to 2.4 percent this year.