EU says no plans for now to establish 'European army'

By Omer Tugrul Cam

BRUSSELS (AA) – The EU Commission said on Monday that the bloc has no plans to establish a "European army" but is rather focusing on strengthening the military capabilities of its individual members.

Asked about talk of a "European army," commission spokesperson Nabila Massrali said no such proposal is on the table.

"Our current work is more focused on supporting member states’ capacity to (respond to) developments, strengthening our industry," she told reporters.

On the bloc's Strategic Compass defense strategy, Massrali said work on how the EU takes responsibility for their own security will be mentioned in the strategy, which is expected to be released in draft form by year’s-end.

The idea of establishing a European army gained interest anew after chaotic European withdrawals from Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific security pact announced last week between the US, UK, and Australia (AUKUS), with France and the EU left out of the loop.