Pope Leo Condemns Europe’s Surge in Military Spending, Urges Diplomacy
By Joshua McElwee
Pope Leo’s Critique of European Military Spending
ROME, May 14 (Reuters) - Pope Leo on Thursday decried rising European military spending, which grew last year by the highest amount since the end of the Cold War amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, saying it was a betrayal of diplomacy.
Papal Concerns Over Rearmament and Diplomacy
Leo, who has drawn Trump's ire in recent weeks after criticizing the Iran war, told university students in Rome that they should not refer to such rearmament as defence spending, adding that the world was being "maimed by wars".
Impact on Social Investments
"Let us not call 'defence' a rearmament that increases tensions and insecurity, impoverishes investments in education and health, betrays trust in diplomacy, and enriches elites who care nothing for the common good," said the pontiff.
European Military Spending Trends
Military spending across the continent rose 14% in 2025 to $864 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and rearmament by European NATO members.
Influence of U.S. Policy and NATO
Trump has repeatedly chastised European allies to spend more on arms, and signed an executive order in February that would re-prioritize the customer list for U.S. weapons in favour of countries with higher defence spending.
New NATO Defence Spending Target
At Trump's urging, NATO in 2025 supported a new defence spending target of 5% of GDP for its members.
Pope Leo’s Broader Message to Youth and Leaders
Leo has been speaking out against the direction of world leadership in recent weeks. On Thursday, he was addressing students at Rome's Sapienza University, the largest institution of higher learning in Europe.
Warnings on Artificial Intelligence in Warfare
The pope also warned about the use of artificial intelligence in warfare, citing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon and Iran as showing "the inhumane evolution of the relationship between war and new technologies in a spiral of annihilation".
Appeal for Peace and Global Solidarity
Leo urged the some 110,000 students at the university not to "close themselves within ideologies and national borders".
"Together with me and with many brothers and sisters, be artisans of true peace," the pope pleaded.
(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; Edited by Crispian Balmer)
