The EU has named the Ukrainian army the best in Europe.

European Commissioner for Defence Andrius Kubilius stated that Ukraine has the strongest army in Europe and, perhaps, in the world. He believes that the Ukrainian armed forces should become part of the future European security system.

He stated this on June 1, speaking at a meeting of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Vilnius, Radio Liberty reports .

“Ukraine has the best army in Europe and, perhaps, in the world. It will be difficult to understand if we in Europe don’t see the integration of Ukraine’s best European, and perhaps even global, military force into our European security system as a vital interest,” Kubilius emphasized.

The European Commissioner also called for a broader discussion on Europe’s future security architecture in the context of the gradual reduction of the US role on the continent.

According to him, Russia still outstrips the European Union in terms of defense production volumes, which creates additional security risks.

Russia still produces more than the European Union, and this is very dangerous. This creates a temptation for Putin. National parliaments should ask their governments: why aren’t our defense industries scaling up, despite increased funding? he noted.

Kubilius cited Ukraine as an example of effective defense industry development. According to him, since 2022, Ukrainian defense production has grown 50-fold and has now reached volumes comparable to the annual defense production of Germany or France.

He emphasized that the Ukrainian defense industry is developing thanks to competition, market mechanisms, and innovation, while Europe still lacks a single defense market.

“Ukraine has fierce competition, market rules, and dynamic innovation in the defense sector. At the same time, we lack a single defense market in Europe, and there’s a lack of competition, innovation, and industrial growth,” the European Commissioner explained.

Kubilius also noted the importance of promoting Ukraine’s membership in the future European Defense Union, while the issue of NATO accession remains unresolved and the process of joining the European Union could take years.

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia was preparing additional mobilization to expand its occupation force in Ukraine.

As a reminder, Brigadier General Andriy Biletsky stated that the next six months could be a turning point in the war against Russia.