Europe needs a defense union to ensure greater independence and take responsibility for its own security. Commissioner Kubilius points out that the EU lags behind in defense despite its economic strength.
Europe needs to create a European Defense Union in order to take more responsibility for its own security. Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius announced this in Strasbourg on Tuesday, TASR reports based on reports from Reuters and Hina.
“European responsibility for (its) defense requires an institutional framework for our cooperation. A European Defense Union,” Kubilius emphasized in a speech in the European Parliament. He added that the EU’s main priorities must include the replacement of key American strategic capacities with its own resources.
The EU lags behind in defence
Kubilius pointed out that, although the EU is an economic giant, it lags behind in defense. He supported French President Emmanuel Macron’s calls to increase defense production capacities and called on EU member states to better coordinate and clearly set priorities.
The Lithuanian European Commissioner already noted in January that the EU should consider creating a standing European army with 100,000 soldiers and rethink the political processes governing defense.
Three pillars of defense
According to him, the defense preparedness of Europe rests on three pillars: higher investments in defense capacities, prepared and functional institutions and the political will to deter a possible attacker and, if necessary, to fight. He emphasized that additional investments in existing defense structures alone will not bring the necessary qualitative change, partly due to the insufficient degree of unity in the EU.
