Since the US and NATO withdrew from Afghanistan, some European Union officials have been calling for the bloc to form its own army. Many European countries are not happy that President Biden followed through on the withdrawal and want more military independence.
On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said because of the Afghanistan withdrawal and the quick collapse of the US-backed Afghan government, there are “deeply troubling questions that allies will have to tackle within NATO.”
Although von der Leyen said cooperation with NATO will remain a priority for the EU, she said Europe should be able to do more on its own. “Europe can — and clearly should — be able and willing to do more on its own,” she said. “It is time for Europe to step up to the next level.”
The issue for von der Leyen and other EU officials who want to form an army is that 21 members of the 27-nation bloc are also NATO members and are under the military protection of the US.
So far, plans that have been laid out by EU officials would not form a force capable of fighting wars on its own. Earlier this month, EU ministers have debated an idea to form a standby force of about 5,000 troops capable of deploying for missions like the airlift in Kabul. These ideas aren’t new, and the EU had previously created “battle groups” for a similar purpose, but they were never used.
“Many European countries are not happy that President Biden followed through on the withdrawal and want more military independence.”
An added bonus to the withdrawal.
The EU faces no external enemies other than those that the United States has made.
Some EU politicians want to form a European Army. As if they could have held on in Afghanistan after the US pulled out? They were always only ‘along for the ride’. An EU army might have difficulty operating in Europe.
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202109/1234477.shtml
Is the Taliban sheltering the ETIM? If China and Russia prefer the terror group to be obliterated and the Taliban is more than willing, one can’t help but sense both nations will supply arms to accomplish it.
What goes without saying are explicit demands to control ISIS, Al Qaeda, and HTS elements. If we then expand the issue of combatting Central Asian terrorism, this becomes a complex issue of state-sponsored terrorism from adjacent countries.
If China is driving bargains this stringently, Afghanistan may decide to do exclusive deals with Qatar, Turkey, and Pakistan.