European security

EU army exposed: Secret reason Macron pushing for European armed force – 'Total craziness'

EMMANUEL MACRON's obsession with a more integrated and united defence strategy among EU member states lies behind a hidden German agenda, claimed Frexit campaigner Charles-Henri Gallois.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, the Popular Republican Union politician argued French President Emmanuel Macron is pushing for a united EU army so that Germany can once again be allowed to own nuclear weapons under the pretence it is a European policy rather than a domestic one. Mr Gallois said: “Talks about sharing the nuclear weapon with the European Union is total craziness.

“It’s a German policy because as you may know, from the Moscow Treaty it has been decided that Germany could never, ever, ever have a nuclear weapon after the Second World War.

“And Germany knows that. And the only way for Germany to get a nuclear weapon is to say France will share it with the rest of the European Union so it won’t be a German nuclear weapon but a European one.

“And it would actually be treason for Emmanuel Macron.”

He added: “There’s no sharing of the nuclear weapon.

European security

Brussels chaos: Spain follows Poland in shock threat to quit EU 'No more humiliation!'

Spain has joined Poland in becoming the second country this week to claim it could ditch the EU, amid growing fury at the power that Brussels holds over member-states. Spain’s third biggest party Vox is under huge pressure to back the Spanish version of the Brexit referendum, following growing fury at an ECJ ruling this week. Vox’s own party president lambasted the EU, claiming when the ECJ overruled Spanish courts, it had humiliated the country and its sovereignty. 

On Thursday, the EU's top court ruled a jailed Catalan separatist leader should have parliamentary immunity.

Oriol Junqueras was one of nine pro-independence leaders jailed in Spain after an illegal independence referendum.

However, in May he was elected to the European Parliament as an MEP.

The ruling rejected Madrid's arguments that Mr Junqueras did not qualify as an MEP because he had not sworn an oath to the Spanish constitution.

A furious reaction among Spaniards even led 'Spaxit' - the Spanish exit of the European Union - to become trending on Twitter. 

Vox President Santiago Abascal criticised the judges in Luxembourg who ruled that Mr Junqueras, who was sentenced to 13 years for sedition, should be freed.

He immediately tweeted that Spain “should not have to comply” with the ECJ ruling.

He went on to claim that Spain should hit back at “this interference,” before adding that Vox “is not going to accept more humiliations”.

European security

A European Army? It’ll Never Happen.

As NATO allies gather near London this week, existential questions hover in the air above the swanky Grove Hotel: How long will we be around as an alliance? Do we still look united enough to deter aggressors? And can a “European army” spring up to supplement, perhaps even replace, our transatlantic league?

The short answer to that last question is no. Tragically, there won’t be a European army soon, or ever. European leaders should admit that honestly, and all members the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, above all the Americans, should accept that they’d better do their level best to dispel doubts about the alliance. The reality is that, for the foreseeable future, NATO is the only credible military shield Europe has.

European security

EUROPEAN SECURITY IN CRISIS: WHAT TO EXPECT IF THE UNITED STATES WITHDRAWS FROM NATO

It is February 2021. A few months after his re-election as president of the United States, Donald Trump declares that NATO has become obsolete and the United States withdraws from the alliance. All U.S. forces — military personnel and equipment — including nuclear and missile defense assets will be withdrawn from Europe as soon as possible.

This nightmare scenario has been on the mind of many security policy officials, and experts, ever since the New York Times reported in January 2019 that Trump discussed several times over the course of 2018 wanting to withdraw from the alliance. Congress has acted and passed the NATO Support Act, which prohibits the use of funds to withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Yet the possibility of such a move cannot entirely be excluded.

Trump’s musings about a NATO withdrawal have served as a wake-up call for some in Europe that Europeans urgently need to assume greater responsibility for their own security. This realization is one of the reasons why closer defense cooperation and a greater degree of strategic autonomy are high on the European Union’s agenda. But are Europeans able to defend themselves? How would they think about their defense without the United States?

A policy game prepared by Körber-Stiftung and the International Institute for Strategic Studies sought to answer these questions this summer in Berlin. Five country teams with experts from France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States addressed a fictional scenario that involved a U.S. withdrawal from NATO, followed by crises in a NATO member state in the western Balkans and across Eastern Europe.

European security

‘EU cannot defend Europe – especially with Brexit’ Nato chief’s damning reply to Macron

The French leader drew the ire of his allies after saying the defence alliance was dying, citing a lack of coordination and decision-making between the US and its EU partners.

Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday that the military alliance was “strong and agile,” as he rebuked critical remarks by French President Emmanuel Macron.

Mr Stoltenberg spoke to France’s Le Figaro newspaper and was asked whether he agreed with Mr Macron’s claim that the alliance was “brain-dead”.

He said: “Nato is strong and agile. It is vital for security questions.

Asked whether he agreed with Mr Macron’s claim that “Europe has the capacity to defend itself,” he said: “I strongly support European defence.

“But it must be the European pillar of Nato and not replace [Nato].

“Today, the European Union cannot defend Europe. Especially with Brexit: 80 percent of Nato’s defence spending will come from non-EU members.”

In an interview with The Economist earlier this month, Mr Macron warned his EU allies that Nato was dying, citing a lack of coordination between member states and US unpredictability under President Donald Trump.

Mr Macron warned: “What we are currently experiencing is the brain death of Nato,” adding that the US was showing signs of “turning its back on us”.

European security

European army? EU chief Von der Leyen says bloc must ‘flex its muscles’

INCOMING EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, has set alarm bells ringing with a bullish speech in which she suggested the bloc was ready to ditch “soft power” and flex its “muscles” in a bid to “asset itself on the world”.
She also took a potshot at Emmanuel Macron after the France’s President vetoed accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia last month, insisting the EU must “honour its word”. In a speech on the state of Europe delivered in Berlin, European Commission President-elect Mrs von der Leyen stressed the EU's strengths as a bastion of openness and democracy in a troubled world and said Brexit had forged a tighter group out of the remaining members of the bloc. She added: "We must go our own European way with confidence.

European security

Who will lead the EU?

According to European media reports, many EU residents continue to perceive the governing bodies of the 28-member bloc, including of the European Commission (EC), as being unable to “leave behind the image of a detached bureaucratic system.” This negative perception was further boosted by the recent elections, which left the European Parliament bitterly “split.” The formation of the new makeup of the European Commission was equally tortuous, in large part “due to the mismatch of political views.” The confusion reached its climax after France, Romania and Hungary had their candidates for European commissioners rejected, formally on the grounds of “a conflict of interest and misuse of public funds.” [i] As a result, the new-look European Commission will hardly be able to get down to work before December 1, instead of November 1, as originally planned.

European security

European Integration is in America’s Interests; Brexit Isn’t

One of several specters hanging over this week’s G7 meeting is the prospect that in a little more than two months the United Kingdom will crash out of the European Union. Such a “no-deal Brexit” will help no one (other than perhaps leaders in Russia or China who welcome any division and weakness in the West) and hurt many, especially in Britain itself, where government experts recognize in private what a calamity such an exit would be for the British economy. British prime minister and lead Brexiteer Boris Johnson is facing two impossible tasks that are in large part of his own making. One is to persuade European leaders to renegotiate the deal they reached with Johnson’s predecessor—a renegotiation those leaders have little or no incentive to undertake. The other will be to make good on the Brexiteers’ promises about benefits to the British public, promises that were far-fetched even with a negotiated exit and will be all the more so under the no-deal scenario.

European security

France: A European army would help — not threaten — US troops

French President Emmanuel Macron’s idea of building a “true, European army” should “never be seen as a move against the United States,” France’s top military leader said this week.

A European army would help the Pentagon better allocate troops, equipment and funding at a time when multiple theaters of operation pose a threat to the U.S. and its allies, French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly said at the Atlantic Council Monday.

“Autonomy should be a variation on friendship and European autonomy should not become a cause for the U.S. to be less engaged,” Parly said. “Quite the contrary: The U.S. and Europehave more in common than anyone else. ... We fight the same wars.”

“We share the same values, we are faced with the same threats, from terror to the resurgence of 19th century-style power politics — China and Russia, and the like.”

Parly’s defense of the European army concept appears to be directed at President Donald Trump, who rebuked the idea in November.

“Emmanuel Macron suggests building its own army to protect Europe against the U.S., China and Russia. But it was Germany in World Wars [I and II],” Trump tweeted Nov. 13. “How did that work out for France? They were starting to learn German in Paris before the U.S. came along. Pay for NATO or not!”

European security

Russian nuclear missiles to have all European countries in their crosshairs

Russia will be forced to deploy its missiles to cover the entire territory of Europe if US missiles are deployed on the European continent, Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov said.

Antonov explained that the Kremlin was concerned about the possibility for US missiles to appear in Europe after USA's pullout from the INF Treaty. In this case, "we will be forced to deploy our missiles, and the whole territory of Europe will be covered," the ambassador said.

He also reminded that the missile treaty does not affect USA's security, and it is only European countries that suffer as a result of the suspension of the treaty. Russian President Putin signed the decree to suspend the INF Treaty on March 4, 2019.

Earlier, during a message to the Federal Assembly, the Russian president stated that Moscow would be forced to give "mirror and asymmetric" response to a possible move of the United States to deploy its missiles in Europe.

European security

China hits back at European Union’s claim it has 250 spies working in Brussels

The Chinese mission to the EU issued a statement on Sunday in response to a report published a day earlier on the website of German television company Welt that said EU diplomats and military officials had been warned of “about 250 Chinese and 200 Russian spies” operating in the Belgian city.

The report cited information from the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s diplomatic arm.

“We are deeply shocked by the groundless and unfounded reports,” the mission said on its website. “China always respects the sovereignty of all countries, and does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.”

Beijing is committed to maintaining healthy and stable ties with the European Union, it said, adding that relevant parties should “treat China and China-EU relations in an objective and fair manner, and not make irresponsible remarks”.

European security

Europeans to the rescue?

Donald Trump’s announcement that the United States will withdraw from the INF-treaty puts Europeans in a difficult spot. Many do not share the administration’s optimism that Russia can be pressured into compliance through the deployment of additional ground- and sea-launched cruise missiles. And Europeans are generally skeptical about the likelihood of negotiating a better, multilateral agreement on short- and intermediate-range nuclear force. Thus, the President’s decision, announced two weeks ahead of the US midterms on the sidelines of a campaign rally, is perceived as the result of domestic pressures and John Bolton’s ideological opposition on any treaty restricting the US military potential, rather than as the result of careful deliberation and consultations. Three concerns top the European agenda:

First, Trump’s decision appears to hand Putin an easy victory and lets Russia off the hook. After INF has expired, there will be no legal basis to challenge Russia on producing and deploying new INF-range systems in Europe. The range of the infamous 9M729, which is suspected of being a violation of the INF-treaty, will likely remain a secret. INF treaty mechanisms, such as the Special Verification Commission, can no longer be used to address suspected violations. Meanwhile, a key NATO partner and ally takes the blame for the treaty’s collapse.

Second, the unilateral decision to withdraw threatens NATO cohesion. Allies were informed but probably not consulted. The debate on whether and where to deploy new US INF-range system could further drive Europeans and Americans apart. Anti-Americanism could be fueled at a time when populism already undermines European democracies and is actively exploited by Russia in order to weaken Western democracies.

European security

Belarus between East andWest: The Art of the Deal

During the Belarusian celebration of independence in July 2018, President Alexander Lukashenko stressed that Belarus would not choose between East and West. Belarusians would choose independence, peace and partnerships with other states. He thus reaffirmed statements he made at the Minsk Dialogue Forum in May 2018, a for Belarus unprecedentedly large conference on Eastern European security that was well-attended by Western researchers and policy advisors. Since 2014, Belarus stresses its role as a bridge builder and mediator in the Ukrainian conflict. At the same time, the government is pursuing a policy of strengthening national identity. In Russia, both officials and the state-controlled media are increasingly criticizing Belarus’ lack of loyalty and its commitment to the alliance. Lukashenko is personally criticized for his perceived attempts to ingratiate himself with the West. Tensions are further exacerbated because Belarus does not recognize the “reunification” of Russia with Crimea, rejects the establishment of a Russian air base on its territory, and introduced a limited visa exemption for Western tourists. These recent developments directly contradict the prevailing image in the West to date; that Belarus is Russia’s staunchest ally. Belarus is indeed heavily dependent on Russian energy subsidies and markets, a member of all Russian-led projects for economic and military integration, and the countries have close cultural ties. It is therefore remarkable and significant for debates on European security that Belarus, neighbor to Ukraine and strategically located between Poland and Russia, has begun shifting its foreign policy priorities since 2014.

European security

Merkel: Europe can't rely on US ‘superpower'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that Europe could no longer rely on the “superpower” of the United States, marking the latest verbal spat between transatlantic allies now feuding over everything from defense to trade.

"We can't rely on the superpower of the United States," Merkel told a news conference in Berlin, Reuters reports.

This is all good: Washington’s European allies – and Germany in particular – have locked horns with Donald Trump’s abrasive approach towards transatlantic defense and trade.

During his European tour, the US president chided NATO states for not spending more on defense, accused Germany being a “captive”of Russia, and stated flatly that he considered the European Union a “foe” for “what they do to us in trade.”

His performance in Brussels – where NATO met last week for its annual summit – was widely criticized, with the Germans in particular issuing several curt rebukes.

“We can no longer completely rely on the White House,” Maas said while speaking to German media on Monday, in response to Trump’s strong-arm tactics.

European security

European Security: Who Wants It?

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a source of strength for the United States and the nations of Europe, but Europe is endangering NATO’s continued existence through its own actions. If NATO is to remain an effective mutual-assistance defense force, then all the member states must step up and demonstrate their willingness and ability to bear their portion of the burden of alliance membership. Make no mistake, it is Europe’s unwillingness to do so thus far, and not the election of President Donald Trump, that has created the vacuum that invited the present reevaluation of NATO’s future. When it comes to mutual security in Europe, the question that currently haunts the continent is “How much does Europe want it?”

European security

German lawmaker calls for end to ‘failed’ European Defense Agency

The European Defence Agency has failed and should be scrapped, according to a member of the European Parliament.

The Brussels-based EDA was set up in 2004 and has just seen an increase to its budget. However, the European Greens say the organization has failed to fulfill its mandate.

“Until today, the EDA has not been able to increase member states’ cooperation on defense research, development and procurement projects ― most are still exclusively national,” said Reinhard Bütikofer, a spokesman for security policy and shadow rapporteur for the Greens/European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament.

“A more efficient cooperation mechanism must be set up to finally address the structural problems of the defense sector,” the German MEP added. “The agency has failed ― it has not been able to deliver on the capabilities, cooperation or the market. It should [be] phased out.”

European security

Make EU a military power, says Brussels: Officials reveal proposals amid growing animosity between the bloc and Donald Trump

The EU should be transformed into a 'military power' amid growing animosity between the bloc and Donald Trump, Brussels chiefs said yesterday.

Revealing proposals to create a Brussels-led defence force in the aftermath of Brexit, officials called for the bloc to 'act alone' in global conflicts.

The move comes just days after German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the EU could no longer fully rely on America as a partner.

European security

The four pillars: Strengthening national security and resilience

...The situation in the Baltic Sea region is not only a reflection of other conflicts. The real elements of tension are there – Russia and NATO’s increased military presence in the Baltic Sea, the lack of dialogue between east and west, Finland’s geographical location between the western states and Russia, and the Baltic Sea as a strategic transportation route.

Despite this, there is much we can do to strengthen Finland’s position in such a world and to enhance both our national security and resilience. In this I invoke the four pillars.

The first two pillars are a wise foreign policy and a credible defence. I strongly believe in the importance of a consensual foreign policy underpinned by effective diplomacy as the best means for creating stability and predictability.

For a small country, multilateral organisations such as the European Union and United Nations are without doubt a better option than a world dominated by great powers. Though they are both beset with issues concerning their abilities to operate and mediate, I am certain that the best antidote to the dealings of great powers and their spheres of influence is to contribute to better functioning multilateral organisations, thereby encouraging and fostering greater respect for international rules.

European security

EU Command Center for Military Missions to Be Opened Soon - German Minister
The creation of the European Union's joint Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) unit, aimed at increasing security and defense cooperation among EU member states, is only a matter of time, Germany's Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth said Monday.

"We have reached a consensus that the command center will be created, the only question is when. I am sure that the call of EU citizens to work together in the security sphere and agree on specific steps will be heard everywhere," Roth told reporters ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.

On March 6, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said EU foreign and defense ministers approved the creation of the MPCC unit for the planning and conduct of non-executive military missions.

European security

EU to create joint command center for military missions - report

The European Union is considering establishing a joint command center for the bloc's military missions, according to officials and diplomats cited by Reuters. The move is viewed as a step towards increased security and defense cooperation.

Foreign and defense ministers from the EU's 28 member states will formally decide during a Monday meeting in Brussels whether or not to create the so-called Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), the news agency reported.

Once established, the MPCC would command the bloc's "non-executive military missions," including the three military training missions currently underway in Mali, Somalia, and the Central African Republic.

The future of the command center would also see it covering any capacity-building, monitoring, or demobilization and disarmament military missions.