Pope Calls European Rearmament a Betrayal of Diplomacy

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday criticized the growth of military spending in Europe, calling it a "betrayal of diplomacy" in response to the record arms buildup that US President Donald Trump has long urged European allies to undertake.

Speaking to students at Rome's Sapienza University, the pontiff said that armaments cannot automatically be described as defense. In his view, the world is increasingly "maimed by wars" and rising tensions.

"Let us not call 'defense' 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", Leo XIV said.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, military spending in Europe will rise 14% to $864bn in 2025, the largest increase since the end of the Cold War.

The pope also warned against the use of artificial intelligence in military conflicts, saying that the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon and Iran show "the inhumane evolution of the relationship between war and new technologies."

(reuters, bak)