Pope Leo Criticizes Rising European Military Spending

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday criticized rising European military spending, which grew last year by the highest amount since the end of the Cold War. Speaking to university students in Rome, the pontiff said the increase was a betrayal of diplomacy and urged that such spending not be referred to as defence spending.

"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," the pope said. " Military spending across the continent rose 14% in 2025 to $864 billion, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The increase occurred amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and rearmament efforts by European NATO members.

The pope also warned about the use of artificial intelligence in warfare. " Leo has been speaking out against the direction of world leadership in recent weeks. On Thursday he addressed students at Rome's Sapienza University, the largest institution of higher learning in Europe.

"Together with me and with many brothers and sisters, be artisans of true peace," the pope pleaded. NATO in 2025 supported a new defence spending target of 5% of GDP for its members. An executive order signed in February re-prioritizes the customer list for U.S. weapons in favour of countries with higher defence spending.