European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has called for the creation of an European Union army to improve the bloc’s standing on the world stage and to show Russia that Europe is serious about defending its own values.
In an interview for the German paper Welt am Sonntag, Juncker said that NATO is not enough because not all members of its members are in the EU, but mentioned that this kind of force would not a challenge to NATO’s existing defense role, according to Deutsche Welle.
“An army like this would help us to better coordinate our foreign and defense policies, and to collectively take on Europe’s responsibilities in the world. Europe’s image has suffered dramatically and also in terms of foreign policy, we don’t seem to be taken entirely seriously,” the European official said.
The joint EU army would be used as a more credible reaction when a member state or in a neighboring state is threatened.
“You would not create a European army to use it immediately,” Juncker said. “But a common army among the Europeans would convey to Russia that we are serious about defending the values of the European Union”.
Juncker’s idea was welcomed in Germany, where the Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said recently that “our future as Europeans will at some point be with a European army.” France and Britain, on the other hand, are concerned that a bigger military role to the EU could undermine NATO. The British government was firm and immediately rejected the proposal saying there was “no prospect” of the UK agreeing. Prime Minister David Cameron even said in the past that “it isn’t right for the European Union to have capabilities, armies, air forces and all the rest of it”.
“Our position is crystal clear that defense is a national – not an EU – responsibility and that there is no prospect of that position changing and no prospect of a European army,” said a UK government spokesman, according to the Guardian.
Meanwhile, the Russians slammed the idea of an EU army as provocative and they described the supporters as “paranoid about Russia”.
“The European version of paranoia: declaring the establishment of a unified army to counterbalance Russia, which does not intend to go to war with anyone,” senior Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky wrote on his Twitter page, according to Russia Today.
Also, first deputy chairman of the United Russia faction in the State Duma, Frants Klintsevich, stated that extra armies do not provide any additional security in the nuclear age, but they can play a provocative role.