There is an urgent need for unity, but the European Union prefers grass wars than to confront Russia Paul Taylor
R.It is the closest hybrid war in Russia to European capitals, and European Union leaders seem less able to agree on how to respond. This, at least, was the disturbing impression by the various European Union summit in Copenhagen. It was summoned last week to build a consensus on the higher priorities for European armaments, and the meeting was an embarrassing offer for Gharb wars, political quarrels And hidden business schedules that suffer from attempts to build a coherent European defense. The leaders not only quarreled about who should be responsible for the accumulation of Europe’s military accumulation, but also about how Ukraine’s continuous resistance against Russian aggression, and how to strengthen Kiev’s offer to European Union membership.
They have expressed warning of repeated violations of their air field by drones that are launched from European airports and military bases, and Russian combat aircraft that violate their borders but seem unsure how to respond. Launch them? Accompany them? keep calm and carry on? Or decreased by taking advantage of the frozen Russian assets to provide a giant loan to Ukraine, take more aggressive steps to strangle oil and gas exports in Moscow, and to give Kiev long -range missiles to hit deeper into Russia? No consensus appeared in Copenhagen, but decisions must be made soon.
The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, should laugh at Kakovon in the Danish capital and may conclude that Europe is weak and divided in response to his escalating provocations. This will be dangerous on all sides.
The leaders of the largest European Union authorities used the informal summit to slap the European Commission, Ursula von der Layen, a multi -layer building proposal Driver aircraft wall For Eastern Europe, after a series of violations of the Russian airspace and incidents that involve the fleet of Moscow’s shadow of oil tanks that are rust.
In a paper distributed to the leaders, von der Lin suggested four European leading defense projects: A European drone, the eastern wing control network, a shield for air defense and a defense area. She also said that the European Union’s CEO will monitor the progress of member states in achieving goals to enhance preparedness by 2030 through a new reports and evaluation process.
French President Emmanuel Macron, Decode the concept of a drone wallThere was a need to say something “more sophisticated and more complex.” German Chancellor, Fredchic Mirz, criticized the excessive organization by Brussels and the preservation of the parliament’s fighting plan behind closed doors. Italian Prime Minister, Georgia Meloni, complained that Brussels is focusing exclusively on protecting the eastern countries and ignoring the southern wing. Also hinted to another objection: this should be the function of NATO, not the European Union.
The row was around power, not drones. National leaders are suspected of obtaining the committee’s authority behind the defense initiatives and wanted to return von der Lin in its fund.
It is good for Brussels to provide a member of 150 billion euros in loans for cooperative defense purchasing projects and reduce the rules to allow more spending on deficit for defense. But the major European Union governments want to maintain control in their hands, as groups of countries are developing different capabilities to meet the requirements of NATO power.
These grass wars have been present since the European Union began to play a role in defense 25 years ago. They have reappeared more severely because defense is the new boundary of European integration increasingly.
No one can blame Brussels for pressure on member states to spend the growing defense budgets more efficiently together instead of repeating capabilities and their failure to build a stronger European defense industrial base. This will require coordination of military requirements and buying less than the United States.
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However, the political leadership with the main military forces in Europe will remain, not the least of which is because the European Union is restricted by the presence of neutral members (Austria, Ireland, Cyprus and Malta) and the sympathetic countries with Russia (Hungary, Slovakia and perhaps the Czech Republic). Moreover, the UK remains an indispensable player in the European defense despite leaving the European Union.
The “Wishing Alliance”, which works under the leadership of Franco, can be the security guarantees of Ukraine, can be the nucleus of the leadership of Europe. But industrial competitions between its main members risk undermining the joint defense effort.
France and Germany abandon Future combat air system project They were launched in 2017, which joined Spain. The constellation of a sixth-generation fighter, advanced aircraft and “combat cloud” was a European alternative to relying on the United States F-35 and its successors. Dogfights among the main contractors Dassault Aviation and Airbus led the design and workshop that brought the project to the brink of collapse. At the same time, a competitor Global combat air program The United Kingdom, Italy and Japan manifested forward.
There are all these conflicts that are the lack of mutual trust between the Europeans, which are exacerbated by the uncertainty about the American commitment to European security under the Trump administration. When the countries are not sure to what extent they can trust each other, their instinct is to return to the national weapons and army industries.
This weakens Europe at a time when you need to display strength and design towards Russia. European leaders must stop the redemption of the committee and collect urgently as if Europe was being attacked, because it is.