The ESA has been awarded record funding, dropping its civilian-only focus and branching out to military and security missions

The European Space Agency (ESA) will begin working on defense projects for the first time, in a move it is describing as "historic." A resolution by its 23 member states says the agency has the tools to develop space systems "for security and defense."

The EU and NATO are pouring tens of billions in taxpayer and borrowed money into supporting defense firms and churning out weapons, claiming Russia poses an imminent threat. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that EU leaders are inflating the alleged danger to push their own political agendas and funnel cash into the arms industry.

Next year's budget allocates a record 22.1 billion (around $24 billion) to the ESA for the next three years. Its member states include virtually all European NATO countries, as well as nonNATO members such as Switzerland and Austria.

The new budget is a sharp rise from the previous 17 billion. Germany is the top contributor with 5 billion, followed by France and Italy at over 3 billion each.

According to ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher, Poland was instrumental in promoting the agency's new strategic direction. He confirmed that Warsaw is currently in discussions to host a new ESA center dedicated to security-focused projects.

Across the EU, defense budgets are surging as Brussels and its allies push for rearmament under the banner of security. The European Commission's 'ReArm Europe' plan aims to pour hundreds of billions into joint weapons procurement and infrastructure, while member states have boosted arms purchases by nearly 40% in just one year. Research and development spending is also up sharply, signaling a full-speed shift toward a greater military focus.