Europe is planning joint defense forces and military cooperation, raising fears that U.S.-led NATO could be undermined.
LONDON — European nations are pressing ahead with plans for joint defenses and military cooperation, raising fears that U.S.-led NATO could be undermined.
With Britain poised to quit the European Union and Donald Trump raising doubts over NATO, France and Germany have been spearheading moves to boost Europe’s capacity to run its own security operations.
oint development of assets such as helicopters and drones, stronger defenses against state-sponsored computer hackers and the expansion of peace-keeping abroad were among the proposals unveiled last week at a conference of European ministers.
The plans, which could be green-lighted as early as December, come after EU President Jean-Claude Juncker called for the construction of a new EU military headquarters that would eventually control a joint EU army comprised of troops from member states.
A common military force would be “in complement to NATO,” he insisted in a speech last month, adding: “More defense in Europe doesn’t mean less transatlantic solidarity.”
However, Britain vehemently opposes the plans and fears they could suck resources away from NATO.
“We’re going to oppose any idea of an EU army or an EU army headquarters, which would simply undermine NATO,” British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said last week.
“There are member states who would like to see…a single set of forces. That looks and sounds to me like a European army, and we would oppose that,” he told reporters. “Europe is littered with headquarters, what we don’t need is another one.”
Source: U.S.-Led NATO in Spotlight as Europe Pushes Joint Army, Defenses – NBC News
