Pope Leo XIV Condemns Europe’s Military Buildup As ‘Betrayal’ Of Diplomacy

Pope Leo XIV has sharply criticized the sharp rise in European military spending, calling it a “betrayal” of diplomacy and warning that rearmament fuels global tensions.

His remarks come amid record global defense outlays and escalating geopolitical rivalries, offering a moral counterpoint to the prevailing security-focused discourse in Western capitals.

Why Did The Pope Say This?

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military spending approached $3 trillion in 2025, with Europe recording the sharpest increase since the Cold War. The surge is attributed to the Ukraine conflict, the perceived Russian threat, and growing US pressure on NATO allies to increase defense budgets. At Washington’s urging, NATO has set a new defense spending target of 5% of GDP for member states, while the European Union has launched initiatives like ‘ReArm Europe’ to revamp its militaries, citing fears that Moscow could attack Europe after the Ukraine conflict ends.

Addressing students at Rome’s Sapienza University, Pope Leo XIV asserted that such policies should not be labeled “defense” but rather as dangerous rearmament. He argued that military buildup increases tensions and insecurity, depletes investments in education and healthcare, undermines trust in diplomacy, and enriches elites who care nothing for the common good. He also warned against the growing use of artificial intelligence in warfare, citing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran as evidence of an “inhumane evolution” of the relationship between war and new technologies in a “spiral of annihilation.”

Geopolitical Dimensions

The Pope’s stance has led to friction with the United States. He recently criticized President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization, prompting Trump to mock him as “terrible for foreign policy.” However, tensions appeared to ease after Pope Leo met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Rome, with both pledging to “work tirelessly for peace.” Meanwhile, Trump has continued to pressure European allies to boost military spending, signing an executive order that prioritizes US weapons sales to countries with higher defense budgets.

Moscow has welcomed the Pope’s critique, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissing European claims of a Russian threat as “nonsense.” He accused European “warmongers” of deliberately portraying Russia as a “model external enemy” to distract from their domestic crises, a line of argument that aligns with the Pope’s warning about rearmament undermining diplomacy.

The Pope’s intervention underscores a growing moral and political critique of militarization in the West, offering aspirants a lens to examine the trade-offs between security, diplomacy, and human development. As Europe navigates between US pressure, the Russian threat perception, and internal economic constraints, the Pope’s words serve as a reminder that rearmament without diplomatic effort may deepen the very insecurities it seeks to address.