Earlier this year, European Union Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius proposed the idea of a “a powerful, permanent European military force of 100,000 troops,” suggesting it could help protect Europe.
At the time, he was asking how Europe planned to replace the 100,000 US troops currently stationed on the continent. Kubilius’s proposal came at a time when concerns about Washington’s credibility were growing among NATO allies, sparked by US President Donald Trump’s repeated statements about plans to take over the Danish autonomous territory of Greenland. Trump has since continued to question NATO’s future, criticizing European partners.
Lithuanian officials have historically been skeptical of alternatives to NATO, largely because Vilnius sees the United States as its main security guarantor. However, Rimantas Sinkevičius, the current chairman of the Lithuanian Seimas’ National Security and Defence Committee, has changed his tune. He said the idea of a European army was worth considering, adding that NATO is essentially an agreement and there is no such thing as a joint “NATO army.”
Sinkevičius did point out that Kubilius’ idea could only be implemented in the distant future. The European Union currently has relatively small armed forces that would struggle to cope with a large-scale military conflict. He said that an army of 100,000 soldiers would be significant, but on the other hand, there would also be bureaucratic challenges – governance, maintenance costs, number of soldiers and the like. There would also be practical and legal constraints to deal with, as the level of bureaucracy in the EU would require a huge amount of preparatory work: “I am not sure how realistic this would be.”
According to Sinkevičius,
any discussion of a European army would also require a broader rethink of the future of the EU,
that is, whether the current EU order, where individual states are united but retain their autonomy, would be preserved.
Former Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas also had other questions, such as where to find 100,000 soldiers. He emphasized that European NATO member states have already committed existing soldiers to defense plans, and then the question arises whether the soldiers will be removed from NATO plans or completely new armed forces will be created. Kasčiūnas said that creating new forces in Europe is difficult for various reasons. There are countries that do not have compulsory service, in other places reserve forces have been neglected, and there are a number of structural problems.
Kasčiūnas indicated that he supports strengthening European military capabilities, but this should take place within the framework of NATO. The politician said that it is necessary to develop weapons systems and strengthen capabilities in areas where Europe is highly dependent on the United States, including intelligence, long-range strike capabilities and ballistic missile defense. However, structures that duplicate NATO should not be created.
One area of defense where European countries are already cooperating is joint military procurement. Sinkevičius highlighted the SAFE program, which allocates 150 billion euros for military procurement. Kasčiūnas also agreed that joint military procurement is a direction to look into.
On the 14th of April, the Wall Street Journal reported on a contingency plan by European countries that foresees that in the event that the United States withdraws from NATO, they will continue to use existing NATO military structures. The media wrote that the plan has received support from Germany.
Read the full article in English here: https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2899133/could-the-eu-field-its-own-army-lithuanian-leaders-are-not-so-sure
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