 Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine has shopped the world. But it was also a wake-up call to many Europeans. As Putin's war rages on its doorstep, is it time for the EU to emerge as a unified military power? The idea is not new. For years, the EU has been building military structures to grow its so-called strategic autonomy. Four months before the Ukraine war, Investigate Europe reporters, from Oslo to Athens and from Lisbon to Warsaw, have been scrutinizing obscure bodies with arcane acronyms. Only days after the Russian invasion was launched, European arms began flowing into Ukraine. The mechanism was already in place. The Orwellian-sounding European peace facility allows member states to sell lethal weapons to third states, including countries in conflict. European troops are already in Mali. This has not brought peace. The war is worse than when they came. How did we get here? And without even noticing, the military budget was zero prior to 2015. It subsequently grew by millions and is on track to swell by tens of billions in the years to come. Among the advisors to the European Commission on Defense Programs are arms industry insiders. The arms companies that these advisors work for stand to gain from the same programs. Out of 41 approved projects, TALIS was a member of 17, Leonardo of 15, Indra of 13, and Airbus of 12. These four companies are only European on paper. Investigate Europe found that they are all partly owned by US funds. At the southeastern edge of the continent, Greece and Turkey appeared close to war in 2020. Germany and France, key allies of both, offer diplomatic support, but also arms. Greece has purchased fighter jets and frigates from France, which also offers political support. Turkey gets political support and submarines from Germany. As pressure grows for an EU military force, the question that remains is, who will decide what is worth fighting for?