Can Europe Afford to Defend Itself? Rob Murray on the new Security & Resilience Bank

In this episode of the Eastern Frontline podcast, MEPs Reinis Pozņaks and Roberts Zīle speak with Rob Murray, the CEO of the Defence, Security & Resilience Bank

By The Eastern Frontline Group

The Eastern Frontline Group is an informal alliance of 43 Members of the European Parliament from 13 EU countries, representing nearly all political groups. Founded in October 2024 by Latvian MEP Reinis Poznaks, EFG works to ensure that the unique challenges of EU states bordering Russia remain a priority on the Union’s political agenda.

14 Nov 2025

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Europe faces a strategic reality: deterrence requires more than political will — it requires the ability to finance it.

In this episode of the Eastern Frontline podcast, MEPs Reinis Pozņaks and Roberts Zīle speak with Rob Murray, the CEO of the Defence, Security & Resilience Bank, a former Head of Innovation at NATO and architect of the NATO Innovation Fund, to unpack why Europe’s defence financing model is no longer fit for purpose. Murray explains:

Why the defence industrial base cannot scale without access to credit
How regulatory constraints block SMEs from entering defence supply chains
Why the Defence, Security & Resilience Bank could be a game-changer
The limits of the EIB’s mandate — and why complementary instruments are needed
How a transatlantic, Indo-Pacific coalition of shareholders could accelerate production

A clear message emerges: Europe needs new financial architecture if it wants real deterrence.

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