European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen der Leyen said that in the next five years the EU must increase the capacity of its defense industry because of the growing global threats, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
Von der Leyen outlined his position at a defense and security conference in Brussels, saying the main focus should be on innovation.
"We need to focus on innovation to ensure that Europe has an edge in new technologies that we have seen used in various conflicts around the world," said the EC president.
She also commented on Iran's attack on Israel, which she defined as another signal of the intention to form a "new league of authoritarians". Von der Leyen mentioned Russia and North Korea as part of the "league" in question, which she said aims to tear apart the rules-based international order and subvert democracies.
Tehran launched its attack on Israel in response to an April 1 airstrike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus that killed two generals and several other Iranian military personnel. According to Iran, Israel is behind this attack.