Europe’s Defence Readiness in Focus

The panel discussion “Ground Capabilities: Combat Power and Manoeuvre on the Eastern Flank”, co-hosted with GLOBSEC, explored what the defence of Europe’s eastern flank entails in terms of practical capabilities.

During the discussion attended by government, military and defence stakeholders, participants debated the challenges of modern warfare and the importance of armoured manoeuvres, military mobility, firepower, force protection and logistic support. Alongside State Secretary Attila Varga, Lieutenant General Piotr „Zeus” Błazeusz, the Polish military representative to the NATO and EU Military Committees, and Jussi Järvinen, Executive Vice President of Protected Mobility Patria, took part in the panel discussion, which was moderated by Dominika Hajdu, Director for Policy and Programming at GLOBSEC.

The discussions highlighted that the lessons learned from the Russia–Ukraine war have confirmed that, alongside modern technologies – including drones, artificial intelligence and electronic warfare – coordinated ground capabilities, adequate ammunition stocks, trained personnel and a reliable supply chain remain indispensable.

Attila Varga emphasised: “Hungary is committed to the European Union’s defence readiness efforts. Adapting to the changing security environment is our shared responsibility, which requires continuous developments and coordinated action. Increasing defence budgets is essential if we are to meet the challenges of our time.”

The State Secretary highlighted that the strategic aim of the HDF’ modernisation efforts is to build a NATO-compatible, interoperable and technologically advanced military force.

“Our aim is to build modern armed forces that not only meet the Alliance’s requirements but are also sustainable in the long term and can be deployed effectively,” said Attila Varga.

One of the most important messages of the discussions in Brussels is that the key to Europe’s security lies in a shared vision, coordinated development and the creation of military capabilities that are both deployable and sustainable in the long term. Hungary intends to contribute to this joint European and Allied effort through its active participation.