On March 2, Dmitry Kiselyov, CEO of state-owned media group MIA Rossiya Segodnya, questioned Europe’s ability to boost military aid to Ukraine following a London summit at which European leaders pledged to continue support for Kyiv.
Kiselyov mocked the size of the British and French militaries, claiming that the U.K.’s largest stadium — Wembley — has enough seats to fit both armies, and that Europe has run out of its weapons stockpiles.
While sarcastic, Kiselyov’s comparison to Wembley is false. The stadium has a 90,000-seating capacity. The strength of the U.K. military personnel more than doubles that — 180,780 as of Jan. 1.
In 2024, the European Union and U.K. had approximately 1.47 million combined active military personnel compared with Russia’s 1.32 million.
Kiselyov also misled on European stockpiles. In 2024, European nations, which significantly outspend Russia on defense, budgeted some $457 billion for military readiness compared with Russia’s $146 billion.
In terms of equipment, just five European countries — Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Greece — field 367,760 advanced armored vehicles, compared with Russia’s 131,527. While Russia still has more tanks (5,750 vs. 4,649), the EU and U.K. compensate with superior technology, better logistics and a strong defense industry capable of rapid production increases.
Naval forces also favor Europe, with a combined fleet of more than 2,000 warships, including six aircraft carriers, whereas Russia has 419 ships and one aircraft carrier. France and the U.K. operate modern nuclear-powered submarines and advanced frigates, giving them on the technological edge.
The Russian Air Force operates 4,292 aircraft, including planes and helicopters. In comparison, the combined air fleets of the seven leading aviation countries in Europe —France, Italy, Britain, Germany, Greece, Poland and Spain — total 4,418 aircraft.
European NATO members, including Germany, France and the U.K., account for 28% of NATO’s total defense spending. Europe’s industrial base, despite past underinvestment and fragmentation, is ramping up production to meet new defense demands.
Britain and France maintain advanced military forces, including nuclear arsenals, modern air power and sophisticated naval fleets. France plans to allocate $448 billion for defense from 2024 to 2030, a $130 billion increase from the $318 billion budgeted for 2019-2025. Britain aims to raise annual defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with a long-term goal of reaching 3%.
Germany, long criticized for underinvestment in defense, has made a historic shift by establishing a roughly $108 billion special fund for military modernization. This includes purchasing F-35 fighter jets, replenishing ammunition stockpiles and expanding its armored forces.
On March 4, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that plans to strengthen Europe’s defense industry and enhance military capabilities could generate nearly $841.4 billion.
By contrast, Russia, while increasing its military production, faces significant equipment losses in Ukraine, relying on outdated Soviet-era stockpiles and imports from Iran, China and North Korea. Despite its large army, Russia struggles with replenishing high-tech weapons due to sanctions and industrial limitations.
Conclusion: European military outmatches Russian in key areas, with 1.47 million personnel, 367,760 armored vehicles and over 2,000 warships, including six aircraft carriers. France, Germany and Britain are increasing defense spending, while Russia struggles with losses, outdated stockpiles, and sanctions-limited weapons production.
