MADRID, February 20. /TASS/. The European Commission is calling on the European Union’s defense sector to increase its production 50-fold, European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius told a defense forum in Madrid.

He claimed that since the start of the special military operation, Ukraine allegedly "boosted its defense production by 50 times."

"Europe’s ambitions must be the same. New plants must be built, cutting-edge equipment brought into operation, and skilled workers recruited to produce as many weapons as possible," he said.

To that end, EU countries must ensure "long-term and stable demand for weapons," which, in the commissioner’s opinion, are necessary "to maintain peace in Europe."

Kubilius called on EU members to "recognize at the legislative level the need to maintain substantial military arsenals" to assure defense enterprises that their investments are secure.