Greek Defense Minister Urges EU to Rebuild Military, Embrace Strategic Autonomy

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias on Wednesday urged the European Union to urgently invest in rebuilding its defense industrial base, warning that the bloc lacks both the capacity and culture to keep pace with modern threats and warfare innovations.

Speaking at the College

He argued that European defense must advance significantly, not by replicating the past with large ships and tanks, but by adopting new technologies and creating a unified innovation ecosystem.

“Europe doesn’t produce a stealth aircraft.

The only available option today is the American F-35,” Mr. Dendias said. “So for Greece, purchasing the F-35 is the only path. There are excellent European aircraft like the Rafale and the Eurofighter Typhoon, but they are not stealth.”

Mr. Dendias envisioned a future battlefield dominated by a single piloted fighter jet, surrounded by swarms of drones conducting combat operations.

He stressed that building such capabilities requires more than financial resources; it demands a cultural shift across the continent.

He said Europe’s push for defense autonomy is not intended to replace NATO but to complement it. “These can coexist,” Mr. Dendias added, noting that Europe deprioritized defense for decades and is now a decade away from achieving meaningful autonomy.

He stated that even if orders for ships or submarines began today, they would not be delivered for at least eight to twelve years.

He estimated that true defense autonomy would require significantly more than €150 billion and warned that even with funding, current structures are not capable of delivering results quickly enough. “It’s a long-term project,” he said, “and we must work effectively to achieve it.”

Mr. Dendias defended the United States' role as a crucial ally, stating that despite political changes, Washington remains a key pillar of global stability and democracy. “Europe must be ready in the meantime, but I am not prepared to write off the United States,” he said.

Regarding the war in Ukraine, he cautioned that the European Union is far from capable of mounting a military deployment in the region on its own.

He said Greece maintains large armed forces relative to its economy and possesses more heavy tanks than the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Luxembourg combined.

However, he suggested Greece could contribute to mine-clearing operations in Ukraine if such an effort arises.

Mr. Dendias emphasized that Europe cannot accept armed invasion as a legitimate means of resolving disputes. “If we accept that, humanity returns to the Middle Ages,” he said.

He warned that the modern battlefield has changed entirely, with the war in Ukraine transforming military requirements.

“We’re not just talking about reform — this is total reform,” he said.

Addressing military service, Mr. Dendias said citizens must serve in the defense of democratic values, not just professional soldiers. “The citizen must protect their country and the values of the European Union. I know that might not make me popular, but it is necessary.”

Currently, the EU is conducting two naval operations, both named in Greek: Operation IRINI off the coast of Libya and Operation ASPIDES in the Red Sea. But when asked if Europe is prepared to meet growing hybrid threats, Mr. Dendias was direct: “We are not ready.”

Europe must continue to prepare, he added, especially as hybrid warfare joins land, sea, and air as a central theater of conflict.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Dendias met with Federica Mogherini, former EU foreign policy chief and rector of the College of Europe, and Professor Konstantinos Filis, Director of the Institute of International Affairs.

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