The EU Aims for Autonomous Rapid Deployment Force without US Help
A draft EU document reveals aspirations for a 5,000-strong "rapid deployment" joint military force by 2025.
A draft plan says that the European Union is considering creating a joint military force of up to 5,000 troops by 2025 to intervene in a variety of situations without relying on the United States.
According to a confidential 28-page paper seen by Reuters, the "EU Rapid Deployment Capacity" should be made up of land, sea, and air components that could be swapped in and out of any standing force depending on the crisis.
EU foreign and defense ministers began debating the idea in Brussels on Monday evening and resumed on Tuesday, with the goal of reaching a final draft by March of next year.
The draft was warmly received by Italy and France, two of the EU's military powers. The perspective of Germany's future federal coalition government, which is due to take office soon, will be crucial.
French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told reporters that "the document combines a high level of ambition but also makes concrete and operational proposals. It's a good balance."
Italian Defense Minister Lorenzo Guerini said these forces would be complementary to NATO and would strengthen transatlantic relations.
First successful attempt
The draft strategy by the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is the most concrete effort to create a separate military force that does not rely on US assets, two decades after EU leaders first promised to set up a 50,000-60,000-strong force but failed to make it operational.
The draft document, titled "Strategic Compass", said Europe needed "more speed, strength, and flexibility to deal with the tasks of managing a full range of military crises."
The draft document added, "We need to be able to respond to imminent threats or quickly react to a crisis situation, for example, a rescue and evacuation mission or a stabilization operation in a hostile environment."