The European Union's foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said that Russia "stands no chance" against NATO, but the alliance must "stand united" in the face of a hostile Moscow.
Speaking ahead of a NATO summit in the Netherlands, where alliance members are under pressure from the United States to increase defense spending, Kallas warned that increasing defense spending alone is not enough to deter the Kremlin.
"Today, against NATO and the EU, Russia has no chance. But we must stand united," Kallas told the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
"When NATO leaders meet next week, maintaining unity in the alliance is a higher priority than increasing defense spending," the European chief diplomat added.
NATO leaders are aiming to reach an agreement on increasing military budgets when they meet in The Hague next week.
But the alliance - where out of 27 member countries, 23 of them are EU states - is facing dilemmas regarding the US commitment to the defense of Europe.
On Tuesday, leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) of the world's most industrialized nations - which includes NATO allies Italy, the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada - as well as Japan failed to come up with a common position to condemn Russia for its attacks on Ukraine. Trump left the summit - which was held in Canada - before it ended.
US President Donald Trump is attempting to negotiate an end to Russia's war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
Kallas said that Russia's military buildup poses a threat to the security of Europe and the transatlantic community.
"Last year, Russia spent more on defense than all EU countries combined. This year, Russia is spending more on defense than on healthcare, education and social policies combined," she said.
"This is a long-term plan for a long-term aggression. You don't spend so much on the military if you don't plan to use the military," Kallas added.
The EU has launched an initiative that aims to raise 800 billion euros to help member states strengthen defense.
A day earlier, Brussels made public plans to increase defense industry production in Europe. /REL (A2 Televizion)
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