NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the creation of a common European Union (EU) military force could be dangerous. An army of its own will weaken the North Atlantic Alliance, as well as divide Europe, suggested Stoltenberg in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph.
Stoltenberg noted that he supports the activities of the European Union in the field of defense. However, no new formation will be able to replace the North Atlantic Alliance. The head of NATO stressed that it is necessary to ensure the common interests of Europe and North America. In the absence of this condition, he predicted the disunity of Europe and the weakening of the alliance.
The head of NATO explained that the possible risks are partly related to the financial side of the issue. Most defense funds are used for the benefit of non-EU allies, he said.
80
percent
NATO defense spending goes to non-EU allies
At the same time, the states that are not members of the European Union play a decisive role in ensuring the security of Europe. Stoltenberg included Great Britain, Iceland, Norway, as well as the USA, Canada and Turkey among such countries.
Attempts to create parallel NATO organizations or even duplicate the alliance will make interaction weaker due to limited resources. The secretary general added that specific initiatives on the formation of the EU’s armed forces with NATO have not been considered at the moment. Details to the alliance about a possible joint army are also unknown.
However, Stoltenberg called on Russia, China and other states of the international community to unite and take all possible measures to repel terrorist organizations in Afghanistan.
The secretary general promised that NATO will learn from the events taking place in Afghanistan, in particular, from the withdrawal of Western troops from the republic and the subsequent seizure of power by the Taliban (an organization banned in Russia as a terrorist organization)… Stoltenberg assured that the North Atlantic Alliance will “openly and soberly” analyze the mistakes that have been made over 20 years of military presence in the country.
Stoltenberg stressed that the Afghan authorities committed a number of wrong actions that allowed the Taliban to quickly take control of the situation. Among such mistakes, he singled out corruption, the lack of a specific plan to fight the militants, and insufficient supplies of equipment. The escape of the country’s President Ashraf Ghani finally undermined the mood of the Afghan army.
Afghanistan could continue to confront the Taliban, NATO Secretary General believes. Consideration must be given to the significant funds that the Allies have allocated to ensure the security and training of local military personnel.
Earlier, Stoltenberg accused the Afghan authorities of “lightning-fast collapse.” NATO did not expect that the republic’s leadership would allow the country’s security system and political institutions to collapse so suddenly.
source https://pledgetimes.com/nato-secretary-general-predicted-the-disunity-of-europe-on-one-condition/
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