“We need 27 European armies that are capable and can effectively work together to deter our rivals and defend Europe,” says Kaja Kallas.
BRUSSELS — Europe’s security challenges are best met by building up the militaries of the 27 member countries and not by creating an EU army, Kaja Kallas, the bloc’s foreign affairs chief, said today.
“We do not need a European army,” she said at the annual conference of the European Defence Agency. The agency, headed by Kallas, aims to promote defense collaboration among member countries.
The EU this year launches its Rapid Deployment Capacity, which will have a projected strength of up to 5,000 soldiers, said Robert Brieger, head of the European Union Military Committee, the bloc’s highest military body, during a panel at the same conference. But that’s only “an entry force” able to deal with a crisis for about six months. After that, another military force would need to step in.
And that’s a far cry from creating an EU army — which would run into major coordination problems as it would have to be agreed by all member countries.
“We need 27 European armies that are capable and can effectively work together to deter our rivals and defend Europe,” Kallas said.
Defending the continent will be done “preferably with our allies and partners” but alone if necessary, Kallas said. U.S. President Donald Trump has cast doubt on the U.S. commitment to NATO.
She did agree with Trump’s complaint that European countries don’t spend enough on defense.
“It’s time to invest,” Kallas said, adding: “We need investment from member states and the private sector. But also from the common EU budget.”
