EU defense ministers are considering creating a “first entry force” of 5,000 troops, saying the bloc needed to react to conflicts beyond its borders, spurred by the chaotic Western withdrawal from Afghanistan. BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday he supported European Union plans to build a common defense policy but he warned against any rapid reaction force https://www.reuters.com/world/afghanistan-pullout-spurs-eu-revive-rapid-reaction-force-2021-09-01 that might duplicate allied operations. Article content“We welcome more EU efforts on defense, but that cannot replace NATO. It should not duplicate NATO, because we have one set of forces, we have scarce resources,” Stoltenberg told Reuters in an interview https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nato-seeks-more-afghan-evacuations-vows-hold-taliban-promises-2021-09-03. The EU has had battlegroups for many years, they have not been deployed,” he said.

Source: National Post September 03, 2021 14:47 UTC