Europe’s military strength lags significantly behind the might of the United States, Russia, and China, even after eighty years of relying on the U.S. for defense. Contrary to recent claims that Europe is increasing its defenses, it is important to clarify that Europe lacks a unified political entity, army, or independent institutions.
When addressing Europe’s militarization, it often refers to three entities: NATO, the European Union (EU), or “greater Europe,” including non-EU and non-NATO countries like Russia. Here, we focus on the EU’s militarization efforts through the PMEI framework that assesses Political, Military, Economic, and Infrastructure domains.
Political Domain
The EU established the European Defence Agency in 2004 but lacks a unified army or strategic command. Unlike the U.S., Russia, and China, which can make quick centralized decisions, the EU, a coalition of 27 states, navigates a parliamentary system without the authority for wartime mobilization.
The U.S. maintains numerous bilateral and multilateral defense agreements, whereas Russia leads the CSTO, and China backs Russia economically. The EU relies on internal coordination rather than external alliances.
Military and Economic Domain
Europe’s military and economic capacity is overshadowed by global powers. The U.S. spends $916 billion annually, Russia $145.9 billion, and China $235 billion, compared to the EU’s $300 billion. The EU’s troop numbers match the U.S. but fall behind China and Russia. Its naval power, space, logistics, and nuclear capabilities are also limited.
Europe’s reliance on U.S. systems and global supply chains shows its lack of autonomy. Moreover, energy dependency and import reliance on fertilizers make the EU vulnerable compared to the self-sufficient U.S. and Russia.
Infrastructure Domain
The EU’s industrial base supports arms production but lacks the scale of its global counterparts. Energy and food self-sufficiency are compromised by import dependencies, leaving the EU at a strategic disadvantage.
According to the Global Firepower Index, the U.S., Russia, and China have top-tier status. While the EU aggregates strong individual member capabilities, fragmentation weakens its practical military standing.
This PMEI analysis highlights the EU’s vulnerabilities in political cohesion, military power, economic resources, and infrastructure resilience. Without U.S. assistance, the EU would struggle against Russia or China in conventional warfare.
Russia, with its proximity and nuclear arsenal, could easily overwhelm the EU’s defenses. Meanwhile, China’s vast military resources pose a formidable challenge. The EU’s lack of strategic depth and unified command makes it reliant on the U.S., whose resources and self-sufficiency remain critical to Europe’s security.
