EU Needs NATO But Must Take Greater Responsibility for Its Own Defense, Commissioner Says
Andrius Kubilius said the bloc's current defense doctrines are no longer fit for today's security situation.
Written by EGazette’s AI. The facts are drawn from cited sources; the analysis is the AI’s own.
The European Union still needs NATO but must prepare to take on greater responsibility for its own defense, EU Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said, according to Anadolu Agency.
"Our doctrines, including foreign policy and defense ... are not fit anymore for today's situation," Kubilius said, according to the agency's report, though it did not elaborate on which specific doctrines he was referring to or detail concrete policy changes he proposed.
A broader European debate
Kubilius's comments reflect an ongoing debate within the EU over how much of the bloc's defense burden should be carried by European countries themselves versus reliance on NATO and, within it, the United States. Discussions over European "strategic autonomy" in defense matters have intensified periodically since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Anadolu's report did not specify the forum in which Kubilius made the remarks or indicate whether other EU officials had responded to his comments.
The report also did not detail any specific budgetary or military commitments tied to the increased responsibility Kubilius said Europe must prepare to take on.
Sources
- EU needs NATO but must prepare to take greater responsibility for European defense: Commissioner — Anadolu Agency (Turkey)
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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