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Brussels (dpa) – According to the European Commission’s assessment, the EU must immediately prepare for the real possibility of a large-scale war with Russia. “History will not forgive us for inaction,” warns the authority led by Ursula von der Leyen in a new strategy paper on the future of European defense. Should Russia achieve its goals in Ukraine, the country will extend its territorial ambitions beyond that. The year 2030 is mentioned as a possible period for this.
The background of the new strategy includes the announcements of US President Donald Trump, after which the nuclear superpower USA will no longer unconditionally be available as a guarantor of peace in Europe. “The security architecture we have relied on can no longer be taken for granted,” stated von der Leyen during the presentation of the so-called White Paper. We now need to strengthen our own capabilities and invest in defense.
Seven key areas
To effectively deter Russia and other aggressive actors, it is now necessary in the view of the EU Commission to bridge existing military capability gaps in seven key areas as quickly as possible. According to the new strategy paper, these include air defense and missile defense, but also artillery systems, drones, and military transport capacities. According to the Commission’s proposal, EU states should cooperate closely when purchasing and jointly order at least 40 percent of the required goods.
“Joint procurement is the most efficient means of procuring large quantities of ‘consumables’ such as ammunition, missiles, and drones. But joint procurement is also crucial for the implementation of more complex projects,” states the White Paper.
To finance rearmament, proposals already published two weeks ago by the Commission include EU loans amounting to 150 billion euros and exemptions from strict EU debt rules. The plans are also meant to enable stronger military support for Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia.
Contentious issue USA
Much less clearly than initially intended by the EU High Representative Kaja Kallas and EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, the strategy warns of dependencies on the USA. Corresponding explicit passages from an older draft text did not make it into the final version following intervention by Ursula von der Leyen’s cabinet.
There is criticism from the European Parliament on this. “A White Paper on European defense only makes sense if it acknowledges reality – which includes an honest reassessment of transatlantic relations,” said German Green MEP Hannah Neumann. It shows that one can no longer rely on the USA, but is almost entirely dependent on them for key capabilities. (March 19)