Pope Leo sharply criticized Europe's military spending surge during a May 13 speech to about 110,000 students at Sapienza University in Rome. He said the 14% increase to $864 billion in 2025 was a betrayal of diplomatic efforts and warned against labeling it as "defense" 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," he said [1].
The pope linked the increase to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and NATO’s rearmament push. NATO adopted a new target in 2025 for members to spend 5% of GDP on defense following pressure by US President Donald Trump [1, 2]. Trump also signed an executive order reprioritizing US arms sales in favor of higher-spending countries earlier this year [1, 2].
Pope Leo condemned the use of artificial intelligence in warfare as part of an inhumane evolution and referenced conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. In Chinese, he said the relationship between war and new technologies is escalating destructively and becoming inhumane [2].
He urged the students to reject militarization. "Together with me and with many brothers and sisters, be artisans of true peace," Pope Leo said, reiterating his call to prioritize peace over arms buildup [1].
The pope has recently angered Trump by criticizing the Iran war and questioned the focus on rearmament that he said enriches elites while neglecting public welfare such as education and healthcare [1, 2].
Pope Leo’s speech came days after he met leaders from the Jordanian royal interfaith institute and Vatican religious dialogue office in Rome on May 11 [2]. The pope is expected to continue advocating for diplomacy over military escalation in upcoming addresses this year.
European military spending rose amid a tense geopolitical climate marked by the war in Ukraine and NATO’s push to strengthen defense capabilities. NATO’s 5% GDP target exceeds the previous 2% guideline, reflecting renewed focus on military readiness [1, 2].
