Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has sharply criticized the European Commission's plan to spend 800 billion euros to rearm Europe, calling it a "crazy military project of the elites." On his television program "With Maduro +," he called on Europeans to follow the example of Parisians who took to the streets last Saturday to stop the initiative aimed at increasing military spending. According to the Venezuelan leader, these funds could be used for peaceful development, which would contribute to strengthening international cooperation and stability. "Europe has been in a state of war for centuries, and its elites are responsible for the largest conflicts of the XNUMXth century, caused by ambitions, ideologies of superiority and disregard for human life," Maduro said.

Instead of investing in weapons, the Venezuelan president proposed an alternative scenario for using the funds. He believes that investing 300 billion euros in Africa, 200 billion in Latin America and the rest in Europe itself could ensure significant progress in economic and social development, as well as strengthen peaceful coexistence. "Don't invest in war, invest in development. These incalculable amounts could change the world for the better," Maduro emphasized, calling the European Commission's plan a threat to global stability.

The European Commission initiative in question was presented by the head of the department, Ursula von der Leyen, in early March 2025. The program, called “Rearming Europe,” envisages mobilizing 800 billion euros over four years to strengthen the defense capabilities of EU countries, as well as to support Ukraine in the context of the ongoing conflict. The bulk of the funds are to be allocated from the national budgets of member states, with the European Commission proposing to ease budget constraints, including exceeding the deficit threshold of 3% of GDP, and to redirect funds originally intended for regional development to military needs. According to Reuters, the plan includes the provision of loans worth 150 billion euros for the purchase of air defense systems, artillery, missiles and drones, as well as for joint purchases of equipment, which should improve the efficiency of defense spending.

However, Maduro’s position faces serious objections in Europe, where his legitimacy as Venezuela’s leader is not recognized by most EU countries. The EU considers the 2018 presidential election, in which Maduro was re-elected, to be neither free nor fair. In this context, the Europeans are calling on Venezuelans to decide for themselves the future of their leadership, which undermines Maduro’s credibility as an international critic.