CURRENT STATE AND GEOSPATIAL FEATURES OF THE MILITARY FORCES OF THE EU AND UKRAINE

Abstract

Problem Statement and Purpose. The relevance of the study is determined by the risk that it hides the continuing build-up of military strength in the world as a whole and in its individual macro-regions. In recent years, many countries, including Ukraine, have been increasingly focusing on the comprehensive development of the armed forces in order to increase their numbers, improve their combat equipment and mobility. That is why the purpose of the article is a comprehensive analysis of the structure of the armed forces of the states of Europe, their geospatial and communication features and the basic prerequisites for their functioning and growth.Data & Methods. The methodological basis of the basic concepts and definitions are the fundamental principles of the theory of social geography, military geography and political geography. In the process of research such methods of geographical research as descriptive, complex, analytical, statistical, cartographic, method of analysis and comparison were used.Results. Reaching $ 315 billion in 2019, Europe's military expenditures accounted for 20% of global military spending. Only 4 of the 15 countries with the highest military spending in the world (France, United Kingdom, Germany and Italy) are in Europe. Taken together, they account for 10% of world military spending.In order to identify the level of financial security of the armed forces of European countries, a classification of European countries by the level of military expenditures by the total GDP of the country was introduced. Accordingly, three groups of coun­tries were identified: countries with high levels of military spending (more than 2% of total GDP - Ukraine, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and Greece); countries with an average level of military spending (from 1.1 to 2% of total GDP - Poland, It­ aly, etc.); countries with low levels of military spending (from 0.1 to 1% of total GDP - Belarus, Spain, etc.). 5 European states (Vatican, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Andorra, San Marino) do not spend any military expenditures, respectively, and have no regular armed formations, but are limited only by internal law enforcement agencies.