MADRID, February 20. /TASS/. European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius expressed concern that, instead of expanding output, the European Union’s defense industry is increasing prices and extending delivery timelines.

"I am now talking a lot to member states and ministers, and what they are saying is making me worried. They say: industry is raising prices. And delaying delivery dates. Because industries are not ramping up their production volumes at the same speed as the finances for defense are increasing," he said at a defense forum in Madrid.

Kubilius stressed that the European Commission has already adopted programs to unlock nearly a trillion euros for additional investment aimed at urgently accelerating arms production in Europe. According to him, this surplus capital, combined with limited capacity to expand production, has driven prices higher. He added that production delays make government investment less efficient and fail to deter potential adversaries from entering Europe, instead inviting them.

Kubilius called for a 50-fold increase in arms production in Europe and urged EU countries to provide the defense industry with legislative guarantees of long-term and broad demand for weapons. To stimulate that demand, he pledged to embark on a "missile tour of European countries" in the near future to persuade them to transfer all remaining missiles from their arsenals to Kiev and to encourage domestic industries to rapidly produce replacements.