The war in Ukraine must end before 2030—giving Europe a window to prepare for potential Russian aggression, Belgian Chief of Defense General Frederik Vansina said in an interview with the newspaper Soir.
“By 2030, if we stay on our current course, we will be markedly stronger than we are today. And by 2035, I believe Europe’s strategic autonomy will be within reach—provided defense budgets keep rising. 2030 will be a difficult moment for Europe. By then, one hopes, the war in Ukraine will already be over. Russia will still have this army of 650,000 to 700,000 battle-hardened troops. So by 2030, we must be able to tell Vladimir Putin that even without the Americans, he will not win a war against Europe. We still have a few years. Thanks to the courage and blood of the Ukrainians, who are buying us that time. That is precisely why we support them so strongly,” Vansina said.
The reference to 2030 likely reflects the official target date of Europe’s rearmament program, “Readiness 2030,” also known as ReArm Europe.