NATO rejects EU army idea

On May 25, Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Jens Stoltenberg announced that he does not welcome the idea of a single army of the European Union (EU).

Stoltenberg welcomed the EU's efforts on defense as the bloc increased defense spending, but insisted that the EU could not replace NATO. According to Stoltenberg, if NATO member states set up alternative command structures, they would likely duplicate NATO's functions. In late March, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also said that it was unrealistic for the 27 EU member states to disband their armies to create a common army.

Earlier, on March 5, the European Commission introduced a legislative proposal for an EU defense industrial strategy, which includes increased arms production and closer cooperation between member states. Meanwhile, in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted that Moscow has no intention of attacking any NATO member state, stressing that NATO countries are trying to scare their own people with an imaginary threat from Russia.

DO CAO