The increasing speed of weapons development in Europe under the pretext of the Ukraine war
| Under the pretext of the need to ensure the security of Ukraine, the European Union has spent more than ever on its defense and military equipment, and at the request of the high-ranking officials of this union, it still wants to continue this process even by accepting new debts. |
According to the international group Tasnim news agency, the German newspaper Tagus Zeitung wrote in an article: The European Union spends more than ever on defense equipment, and in this situation, Charles Michel, the head of the European Union Council, demands more, referring to the need to ensure the security of Ukraine.
This report continues: The EU wants to continue arming itself and possibly take on new debt for this purpose. EU Council President Charles Michel announced the decision on Thursday in Brussels. Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said that these plans should also consider Ukraine’s military needs. According to him, the goal is to create a comprehensive defense union, including the candidate countries of the European Union. The European Union has an organization called the European Defense Agency (EDA), but this organization has only the main responsibility for coordinating activities. The European Security and Defense Union, ratified in 2017, exists essentially on paper. Michel and von der Leyen now want to change this situation, and the war in Ukraine serves as a starting point.
Michel said at the annual EDA conference: “War is on our doorstep, now we have to hurry.” . According to him, since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the European Union – which used to be a peace union – has broken taboos and, for example, guaranteed the delivery of arms and ammunition to Ukraine. But this is not enough. Military aid should be “anti-fire”.
Michel emphasized: Ukraine’s security is our security. He said that the European Union needs more missiles, more ammunition and more air defense.
He also stated that he is worried about the possible withdrawal of the United States of America from this path. And he emphasized: To achieve this goal, not only the current programs of the European Union will be expanded, but also new structures should be created. Based on this, the EDA is going to be expanded to the “European Ministry of Defense” under the leadership of the European Union’s foreign policy chief. According to him, there is also a need for a common arms market and more generous financing of arms projects, which It can also be done through “defensive bonds” – that is, through new debt. The question here is whether the European Union should even issue war bonds to Ukraine. Michel, of course, did not want to address this issue and at the same time said: But more money is needed to strengthen the “technology base”. That’s why he shakes the debt taboo.
Von der Leyen also focused on Ukraine in this meeting. He said: Our strategy can only be complete when it takes into account the needs of Ukraine and its industrial capacities. According to him, Ukraine should also be integrated into the defense programs of the European Union to meet the country’s needs in the war against Russian forces. However, this war in Eastern Europe has led to rapid rearmament in the European Union. Is. The military expenditures of the 27 European Union countries reached a record 240 billion euros last year. According to the annual report presented by the EDA in Brussels, costs have increased by six percent compared to the previous year. Germany increased its military spending by 5.4%.
| Publisher | Tasnim News |
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