OREANDA-NEWS  The European Union (EU) aims to increase the pace of military purchases within the bloc by 2035. Bloomberg reports on the details of the new draft of the European Defense Industrial Strategy.

According to the agency, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has revealed the limitations of the EU industry and its dependence on other countries, as a result of which the union is struggling to increase production capacity and costs after decades of underinvestment.

"Geopolitical events point to the urgent need for Europe to assume increased responsibility for its own security and be ready to effectively confront the full range of threats it faces," the draft says.

According to the strategy, the EU will have to have the ability to mass produce defense equipment such as ammunition and drones. These efforts will require joint investments and joint purchases, rather than the purchase of finished equipment from third countries outside the bloc.

Earlier, France and the Netherlands supported Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala's plan to purchase shells for Ukraine outside the EU. It is clarified that the Czech proposal may also be supported by 15 European countries.