Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space: A new era of defence readiness

Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space: A new era of defence readiness

James Copnall, presenter of BBC Newsday, speaks to Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, about the need for Europe to be able to defend itself.

In an interview recorded before the Nato summit on 24/25 June 2025, Mr Kubilius, a former Prime Minister of Lithuania, says peace in Europe cannot be taken for granted and that Europe can no longer rely on American military backing. Therefore, defence readiness must be a priority, meaning increased spending commitments from Nato members, and a unified, quick and clear approach across Europe to building defence capabilities. This, he believes, is the only way to deter the threat of further Russian aggression.

But some Nato member states may struggle to meet the proposed increased spending target of 3.5% of GDP on defence. A few still haven’t met the current goal of 2%, set more than a decade ago. However, other European nations are already boosting spending to 5% including countries living in close proximity to Russia, such as Poland, Estonia and Lithuania.

Overall, Europe still only accounts for 30% of Nato's total military spending, a figure that has prompted US President Trump to demand a much greater contribution from European members. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: James Copnall Producers: Lucy Sheppard, Ben Cooper and Owen Clegg Editor: Nick Holland

Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

(Image: Andrius Kubilius. Credit: John Thys/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Avsnitt(1814)

Mark Alford: Is America ready for Trump 2.0?

Mark Alford: Is America ready for Trump 2.0?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Republican congressman and Trump loyalist Mark Alford. The president-elect has already made clear his intent to blow up the Washington status quo, from swingeing tariffs to the mass deportation of migrants. Is America ready for Trump 2.0?

6 Dec 202422min

Arab Barghouthi: Will his father shape Palestinians' future?

Arab Barghouthi: Will his father shape Palestinians' future?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Arab Barghouthi. His father, Marwan, is serving life for murder in an Israeli jail, but is widely seen by Palestinians as a potential leader who could unify his people. Does his son believe he will ever be free?

5 Dec 202422min

Peter Boehringer: Is Germany's far right in a powerful position?

Peter Boehringer: Is Germany's far right in a powerful position?

Germany, Europe’s most powerful economy, will hold elections in February after the collapse of Chancellor Scholz's ruling coalition. Stephen Sackur speaks to Peter Boehringer, who is a senior MP for the far-right Alternative for Deutschland party. Is his party too extreme to be a serious contender for national power?

4 Dec 202422min

Barbara Taylor Bradford: A woman of substance

Barbara Taylor Bradford: A woman of substance

Following the death of Barbara Taylor Bradford at the age of 91, another chance to listen to Stephen Sackur’s 2009 interview with the best-selling novelist. A talent for storytelling made her one of the richest women in Britain; her first novel, A Woman of Substance, has sold more than thirty million copies around the world. Adored by her fans and ignored by the critics, Bradford's books featured strong women overcoming life's slings and arrows.Image: Barbara Taylor Bradford (Credit: Caroll Taveras/Bradford Enterprises via PA)

2 Dec 202422min

Liz Carr: The UK's assisted dying debate

Liz Carr: The UK's assisted dying debate

The UK parliament is considering landmark proposals to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. They would, if approved, establish the right for some terminally ill people to choose a medically assisted death. Several European nations, Canada, and a number of US states have already gone down this road. Stephen Sackur speaks to actor and disability rights campaigner Liz Carr. Is the focus on a ‘good death’ detracting from the right to a good life?

28 Nov 202422min

Aleksandar Vučić: Is Serbia looking to the West or Russia and China?

Aleksandar Vučić: Is Serbia looking to the West or Russia and China?

Stephen Sackur is in Belgrade for an exclusive interview with Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić. The Balkan country is at a crossroads. Does it prioritise turning westwards, doing all it can to gain EU entry, or face east, deepening an already close friendship with Russia and expanding economic ties with China?

25 Nov 202422min

Masoumeh Ebtekar: Is Iran's leadership in danger of losing its grip?

Masoumeh Ebtekar: Is Iran's leadership in danger of losing its grip?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Iran’s former vice president for women and family affairs, Masoumeh Ebtekar. Despite state repression, many Iranian women are still confronting restrictive laws which they label ‘gender apartheid’. Amid social and economic unrest, is today’s Iranian leadership in danger of losing its grip?

19 Nov 202423min

Paddy Hill: Rebuilding after a miscarriage of justice

Paddy Hill: Rebuilding after a miscarriage of justice

This month marks 50 years since 21 people were killed by the IRA in the Birmingham pub bombings. Six men, ‘The Birmingham Six’, were imprisoned for 16 years for murderous bomb attacks which they did not commit. In 2011, Stephen Sackur spoke to one of those men, Paddy Hill. He had been a free man for 20 years, but had he managed to rebuild his life?

18 Nov 202422min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

svenska-fall
p3-krim
rss-viva-fotboll
rss-krimstad
flashback-forever
fordomspodden
aftonbladet-daily
rss-sanning-konsekvens
rss-vad-fan-hande
olyckan-inifran
dagens-eko
svd-dokumentara-berattelser-2
rss-frandfors-horna
motiv
krimmagasinet
rss-krimreportrarna
svd-nyhetsartiklar
blenda-2
spotlight
rss-svalan-krim