Finland's former prime minister, Sanna Marin, has said it is both morally and strategically inexcusable for Russia to outspend Ukraine and its allies on defence.
"The outcome of the war in Ukraine is our choice," Marin wrote in the foreword to a report published this week by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where she is employed.
"A mere 0.2 percent of Europe's GDP would be enough to close the gap in resources between Ukraine and Russia," said her introduction to the report titled "The Price of Peace in Ukraine and Europe."
The report suggests that providing Ukraine with the means to stop Russia is a matter of will in Europe.
According to Marin, it is morally and strategically inexcusable for Europe that Russia and the impoverished authoritarian states supporting it are spending more money on the war than Ukraine and its allies.
Last fall, Russia announced it would increase its defence spending by 30 percent, raising it to about 13.5 trillion rubles, or approximately 134.2 billion euros. Ukraine's defence budget, including assistance from western countries, is about 95 billion euros, according to the institute's report.
Marin said the ongoing Munich Security Conference has been a wake-up call.
"Europe can no longer rely on transatlantic value-based cooperation and support, and Europe will not be at the negotiating table where its future and security are decided…Europe must take leadership in its own security and strengthen its capabilities in strategic issues. There is no time to waste," she posted on messaging platform X on Sunday.
In the autumn of 2023, Marin resigned from her job as a member of parliament to take up a new position as a strategic advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.