For the first time without NATO – a new page in the EU’s defense capabilities

The first military maneuvers not led by NATO in the history of the European Union started in Spain. About 2,800 military personnel from countries take part in them EU.

The combat exercises are designed to enhance the bloc’s ability to quickly respond to multiple crises beyond its borders. Josep Borrell, head of European diplomacy, said on board the landing ship Juan Carlos I in Cadiz, Spain:

“Today we turn a new page in the EU’s defense capabilities. Recent events close to the bloc’s borders, including Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the bloody Hamas attack on Israel last week, only show that we Europeans need to strengthen our security and defense is part of our security.”

LIVEX military exercises will last a week, tells euronews. 31 units take part in them – sea, air, space, ground and cyber from Austria, Hungary, France, Ireland, Malta, Italy, Portugal, Romania and the host of the maneuvers, Spain.

LIVEX participants will simulate an amphibious landing to defend the harbor. Planning for further stages is also underway. The next exercise, scheduled for the second half of 2024, is expected to be led by Germany.

Borrell emphasizes that the purpose of the exercise is to increase the combat readiness and “interoperability” of the armies of EU countries, and to move towards the creation of Rapid Deployment Capacity (rapid deployment potential) with other exercise scenarios, including rescue, evacuation, support for humanitarian operations, disaster relief . He noted:

“Unfortunately, these are the scenarios we will have to deal with, and we must be prepared for them. They will become part of our daily reality, as we see today at our borders. We must be prepared to protect our citizens and contribute to global stability. And for “This is why we need to conduct joint exercises. This will help us be better prepared to fulfill the EU’s role as a defense actor and global security provider.”

Europe’s top diplomat also noted that LIVEX “will enhance the EU’s ability to act faster, respond to crises outside the bloc, and help build a common strategic defense culture”:

“I have said many times that Europeans need to develop a common strategic culture to face together the challenges of the world in which we live.”

The rapid deployment capacity should be operational in 2025 and include up to 5,000 troops capable of quickly deploying to respond to a variety of crises, including the airlift of EU citizens from foreign countries, as was recently the case in Niger, Sudan or Afghanistan.

Some EU countries are wary of plans for a more coordinated defense policy at the EU level (an idea championed by France), fearing it would weaken NATO’s role in the region.

However, the Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, as a result of which Western countries were forced to urgently evacuate their citizens, has given new impetus to the sluggish negotiations. Russia’s troop buildup on the Ukrainian border and subsequent full-scale invasion led to the agreement.

Asked whether EU countries agreed to create a rapid deployment force too late, Borrell admitted: “It should have been done earlier.”

*Actor in UML (English actor) is a set of logically related roles performed when interacting with precedents or entities.

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