If war breaks out, European countries will need 300,000 more soldiers to defend against Russia without U.S. support.

Axar.az informs that this was reported by the Bruegel Research Institute in Brussels and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

The report states that, in such a scenario, EU countries would require an additional €250 billion in annual military spending.

The researchers emphasized that Russia could build the military capacity to attack the EU within the next 3 to 10 years.

Notably, discussions on Europe's independent defense system have intensified, as NATO’s security guarantees appear less reliable under U.S. President Donald Trump’s leadership.