Photo : Collected
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that he does not welcome the idea of a single European army as it will "duplicate" what the alliance does. "I welcome EU efforts on defense when it comes to increasing defense expenditure … but the EU cannot replace NATO," Stoltenberg told The Economist, adding that the bloc represents only 20% of NATO’s total expenditure.
If NATO member states establish "alternative command structures," they will most likely "duplicate" the alliance’s functions, Stoltenberg said.
In late March, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said it was unrealistic for the 27 EU member states to disband their armies and create a single common one.
On March 5, the European Commission tabled a legislative proposal for a new EU defense industry strategy that includes a boost to weapons production and closer cooperation among member states.
In an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson earlier in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow had no intention of attacking any NATO countries. Putin added that NATO countries were trying to intimidate their own populations with an imaginary Russian threat.
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