Politics Has the time come to build a European army? 🇪🇺🪖

[Maciamo]

Europe faces escalating security threats that demand greater self-reliance in defense. Building a European army is seen as crucial now due to uncertainties in US commitments under President Trump and ongoing Russian aggression.

Russian Aggression​

Russia's continued war in Ukraine and hybrid attacks on Europe heighten risks to the continent. Experts warn that failing to stop Russia there could lead to broader attacks, as European defenses lag behind those of Russia, the US, and China. Prioritizing aid to Ukraine via integrated forces is viewed as the best deterrence.

US Reliability Concerns​

President Trump's policies, including threats over Greenland, US troop withdrawals from NATO structures, and a new defense strategy shifting burdens to allies, erode trust in American protection. This has prompted EU leaders like Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius to propose a 100,000-strong standing EU force to replace US troops. Europe remains dependent on US arms and logistics, necessitating urgent independence.

Defense Fragmentation​

EU nations suffer from fragmented forces, with 172 weapon types versus the US's 32, inflating costs and hindering coordination. A unified army would enable joint procurement, training, and command for efficiency and interoperability, complementing NATO without replacing it. Calls from leaders like Zelensky for a 3-million-strong force underscore the scale needed.

EU countries's military budgets have more than tripled since the beginning of the war in Ukraine and about half of all the military equipment is purchased from the United States.

I recommend watching the two following videos. Their tone couldn't be more different. The first one is overly pessimistic and highlights over reliance on the US and arresting military industry in most European countries. The EU Made Simple video calls for the creation of a European Army with an increased budget to become militarily independent from the US. Both points of views are correct. The former looks at the past and present situation while the latter indicates the direction for the future.

Don't forget to watch YouTube videos with an ad blocker or even better a browser with an inbuilt ad blocker like Vivaldi or Opera.

The latest Eurobarometer report shows that 77% of Europeans are in favor of a Common Defense & Security policy.

 

[Maciamo]

Here is a list of European countries running by the percentage of weapons imported from the United States. Northern Europe as a particularly strong dependence on the U.S. Among big countries France is the least dependent as it has a stronger military industry of its own.

 

[bicicleur 2]

It will take a long time to build Europe's army. In the meantime we depend on Amercian coverage and war industry. One advantage, warfare has changed through technology and adapted tactics. No need to build a large conventional army from scratch. There is a lot to be learnt from the Ukraine front, there are also other threats / kinds of warfare possible.