Europe Faces Military Capability Shortfalls

The International Institute for Strategic Studies' 2026 Military Balance report says Europe has wide capability shortfalls and remains ill-prepared as the four-year war in Ukraine grinds on. It reports global military spending rose 2.5% to $2.63 trillion in 2025 while European spending reached $562.9 billion (up 12.6%), warns of NATO shortfalls despite pledges to reach 5.0% of GDP by 2035, and notes rapid evolution in unmanned systems and AI.