The EU Defense Minister on Tuesday (November 16) welcomed the first blueprint for the EU’s future military strategy. This is just the beginning of the debate. However, some member states have indicated that they will make amendments in the next step of the process.
The European Union’s strategic compass, In view of the new threats facing the EU, the purpose of strengthening the EU’s military capabilities is to “develop a common strategic vision for the EU’s security and defense in the next 5-10 years.”
A day ago, the EU foreign ministers received the first deciphering of this document drafted by the EU Diplomatic Service (EEAS) and national security agencies.
EU leaders may receive the revised version in December, and the final document is scheduled to be approved during France’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in March next year.
EU Chief Diplomat Jose Porrell told reporters after the meeting that this is not just “another policy document, but also a guide to action.”
According to him, The new strategy should become a stepping stone for the EU to become a security provider and be more ambitious to deal with crises and threats in its neighboring regions.
“This approach has received broad support from ministers,” Borrell said, adding that he will submit “at least” two more drafts in the coming months based on feedback from member states.
EU diplomats confirmed that member states’ response to the new blueprint was “quite positive”.
“We are very happy because the document is realistic, but at the same time ambitious,” Slovenia’s Defense Minister Matej Tonin said before the meeting, his country is the presidency of the European Council.
“We need some fine-tuning – one is about Russia and the other is about the Mediterranean,” Tonin added.
According to EU diplomats, on the latter issue, the two member states requested that Turkey be clearly listed as a threat in the threat analysis section of the upcoming document, in order to clarify the security challenges facing the EU.
However, some of the initiatives in the leaked 28-page draft have been criticized for the gap between the EU’s ambitions stated in the document and current capabilities and willingness.
One of the more controversial blueprint proposals is to establish a joint military intervention force called the “EU Rapid Deployment Capability” by 2025, which “allows the rapid deployment of modular forces of up to 5,000 soldiers, including land, air and sea. component”.
In an interview with reporters, Borrell defended the idea envisaged in the draft, saying that it is very suitable for dealing with “mixed” crises that blur the traditional categories of war and peace.
“Such teams can temporarily support national actors in the face of specific situations, such as what we have witnessed in Belarus, Poland and Lithuania,” Borel said. “Today, we don’t have these tools.”
On the other hand, Poland and Lithuania expressed reservations about the planned modular force of up to 5,000 soldiers, which are designed to be deployed quickly for specific tasks.
They pointed out that the EU’s existing battle groups have never been used because of funding disputes and unwillingness to deploy.
An EU diplomat told EURACTIV: “It is widely believed that the EU’s rapid response capabilities should be based on improved existing battle groups, but with consensus or more flexible decision-making.”
Together with other Baltic countries and Denmark, their bottom line is that any new EU military concept should not be at the expense of NATO, but at the expense of NATO.
When asked again about potential repetitive questions, Borrell’s call for the EU’s plan was actually “a way to make NATO stronger by making the EU stronger.” According to him, this idea gained the United States. The support of President Joe Biden.
Belarus in their hearts
Increasing concerns about Russia’s military build-up in Ukraine and its surrounding areas, tensions on the Polish-Belarusian border, and the outbreak of new fighting on the Armenian-Azerbaijan border have promoted a stronger European defense strategy.
The EU foreign ministers agreed on Monday to impose a new round of sanctions on the Minsk regime, which are expected to target airlines and entities participating in the organization of the plan.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday that NATO is deeply concerned about the Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s strategy to put the lives of immigrants at risk and provides support to Poland.
“We are deeply concerned about the Lukashenko regime’s use of vulnerable immigrants as a mixed strategy against other countries. He is putting the lives of immigrants at risk,” he said.
“We stand with Poland and other affected allies,” Stoltenberg told reporters when he arrived for a meeting with the EU defense minister.
[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]
