Kubilius: Question of using AFU as foundation of European forces remains open

The European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius stated this in an interview with Ukrinform.

"First of all, I am trying to raise what I call 'big questions' publicly in order to start discussions. And it leads me to understanding that in order to find the best answers to those big questions, like how to replace American capabilities, both material ones and also military forces, how to develop the European Defense Union, which would include the UK, Norway, Ukraine, in order to have all the benefits from the Ukrainian battle-tested experience," he noted.

Kubilius acknowledged that the issue of using the Ukrainian Armed Forces as the foundation of European forces remains open, but is theoretically possible.

He recalled that "President Zelensky and Prime Minister Shmyhal at the time were proposing to use the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a possible entity which can play a very important role in development of those European army capabilities."

Answering a question about how Ukraine's combat experience could help Europe defend itself against threats that have emerged amid the conflict in the Middle East, Kubilius said:

"I think that Ukrainian experience is very crucial. My own conclusion about experience of Ukrainian defense, from which we still need to learn a lot, is that although you might have weapons but if you are not developing what Ukraine has managed to achieve, which I call an 'ecosystem' involving weapons, operators, innovators, everything in a very dynamic circle, and especially if the war is going to last for a longer period of time, that will become a big challenge."

He also emphasized the importance of increasing the competitiveness of the European defense industry, as well as creating a proper platform for discussion and for finding answers to important questions in the field of European defense.

"The Council of 27 members, of course, has all the rights to make decisions, but it's not the best place to have a deep discussion. That is why I propose to come back to the idea, which was originally initiated by Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel back in 2017-2018, of so-called European Security Council, which would be five big member states, as well as around three rotational members, and EU institutions. And that is what started to be discussed very intensively in different corners of Europe, especially in the European Parliament, where the German CDU passed a special resolution on that," Kubilius noted.

He recalled that the idea of a European army had already been discussed about ten years ago, but "things were not moving ahead."

Kubilius stressed that he sees logic in the arguments of experts who say that developing EU defense readiness requires more than just additional funding and investment in production "if we shall not find the best ways, how we are organizing ourselves if Americans diminish their presence."

As Ukrinform previously reported, German Member of the European Parliament from the European People's Party Michael Gahler said in an interview with Ukrinform that the European Union should take the factor of the Armed Forces of Ukraine into account when strategically shaping its defense posture and propose a security guarantee similar to Article 42.7 of the EU Treaties on mutual assistance in case of conflict.

Photo: 56th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade