EU rejects idea of 'European Army', heralds new plan to develop rapid deployment capacity

As the Russian war entered day 27, the European Union (EU) on Sunday clarified that there will be no creation of a "European Army," instead, indicated new plans to develop the EU Rapid Deployment Capacity. Addressing a joint session of defence and foreign ministers, EU Foreign Affairs Chief Josep Borrell, said that the European armies will remain each Member States having its own military. However, he added the advancement of the rapid deployment will allow the bloc to "swiftly" move up to "trainer and equipped" 5,000 troops to counter different types of crises.

"We do not want to create a European army. It is not about creating a European army. The European armies will remain, each Member States having its own military army," EU Foreign Affairs chief Josep Borrell said.

"We have to be able to react and one of the ways to react rapidly is the [EU] Rapid Deployment Capacity that has been agreed upon," he added.

Borrell also said that the European state armies are "a better partner inside NATO, with the United Nations and with the African Union." Notably, the European armies have been training together and apart from the Nato framework. "We cannot act alone. We want to act in a more coordinated way among us and we want to act in a more integrated way with our partners. Acting in complementarity with NATO, which remains certainly the cornerstone of the territorial defence of Europe, " he added. 

Borrell's statement comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last Friday spoke to European Council President Charles Michel. The leaders discussed further strengthening of support to the war-torn nation, devastated by the Russian bombings. "Special attention was paid to our movement towards membership in the EU," Zelenskyy has said in a Twitter post.

EU to continue calling out Russia for war crimes in Ukraine

Reaffirming unwavering support for Ukraine in the wake of Russia's burgeoning attack that began on February 24, Borrell said that the 27-nation bloc will continue to call out Russia for its war crimes in its ex-Soviet neighbour. "All Member States remain extraordinarily united in supporting Ukraine, supporting Ukraine diplomatically and on the international stage. We will continue isolating Russia, to call it out for war crimes, and blatant violations of international humanitarian law," Borrell said. He further added, "We considered that what is happening in Ukraine is a war crime. A massive war crime committed by the Russian armed forces against Ukrainian people and this cannot go unanswered." Borrell also recalled an order by the International Court of Justice that urged Russia "to stop the invasion of Ukraine" and welcomed the Commission of Inquiry set up by the UN Human Rights Council to probe into Russian actions in Ukraine.

(Image: AP)