European Union Agrees to Form Its Own Standing Army

The European Union (EU) has been hinting at the possibility of organizing a full standing army for more than a decade.  The original idea was to basically compete with the United States for military supremacy so that they would no longer feel inadequate when it came to foreign deployments.

The EU has always been a bit envious that they could not seem to militarily act without asking for support, particularly in the realm of air strikes.  With the election of Donald Trump, it became more about the money and pride than it did about the safety and security of the bloc of nations.

Trump, if you remember, called out the European nations to increase their share to support American military endeavors on their behalf.  This unsettled the leaders of the EU who had become very cozy with Barack Hussein Obama’s insistence that the United States was corrupt, invalid, and illegitimate and didn’t treat its allies with respect or fairness.  That translated to, “The USA promises that it will continue to provide military cover for the world in perpetuity, free of charge because we owe to all of you!”

Now, using the Russian incursion into the Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea as a catalyst for this sudden reemergence of their interest in seeing this endeavor a reality, the leadership in the EU has announced the signing of the pact as the first step in realizing this goal.

France and Germany edged toward achieving a 70-year-old ambition to integrate European defenses on Monday, signing a pact with 21 other EU governments to fund, develop and deploy armed forces after Britain’s decision to quit the bloc.

First proposed in the 1950s and long resisted by Britain, European defense planning, operations and weapons development now stands its best chance in years as London steps aside and the United States pushes Europe to pay more for its security.

Foreign and defense ministers gathered at a signing ceremony in Brussels to represent 23 EU governments joining the pact, paving the way for EU leaders to sign it in December.

Those governments will for the first time legally bind themselves into joint projects as well as pledging to increase defense spending and contribute to rapid deployments.

“Today we are taking a historic step,” Germany’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told reporters. “We are agreeing on the future cooperation on security and defense issues … it’s really a milestone in European development,” he said.

The pact includes all EU governments except Britain, which is leaving the bloc, Denmark, which has opted out of defense matters, Ireland, Portugal and Malta. Traditionally neutral Austria was a late addition to the pact.

Paris originally wanted a vanguard of EU countries to bring money and assets to French-led military missions and projects, while Berlin has sought to be more inclusive, which could reduce effectiveness.

Its backers say that if successful, the formal club of 23 members will give the European Union a more coherent role in tackling international crises and end the kind of shortcomings seen in Libya in 2011, when European allies relied on the United States for air power and munitions.

Interestingly, what was expected to be the equivalent of blowing raspberries at President Trump, completely in line with the thinking and sentiments of the Leftist press both here and abroad, instead there was a collective smile and clapping on the back of the EU leaders which was depressing, to say the least.

You see, the EU leaders in Brussels had hoped that an infuriated America would rush to accommodate the move by offering more freebies.  However, our president thought this arrangement to be a win-win for the United States in that, not only would we no longer be footing a bill that the EU could never afford, but we would also have a strong military alignment in Europe that helped to balance the secretive building of a full-scale armed force by the Shanghai Cooperative Organization (SCO) that has been moving toward autonomy from the other Western powers in the world through a new petrolyuan, increased trade between China, Russia, and the other member nations (as well as its nations awaiting membership) and those nations that have been sanctioned into a corner by the United Nations.

The SCO has also been scooping up large amounts of land in the South China Sea and blocking shipping lanes; another sign that they are hoping to confiscate waterways southward to Japan.  Alternatively, Russia has been pushing its influence northward into the Arctic Sea in the hopes that it can stake its waterways claims there, despite some of the areas specifically optioned by the US and Canada.

Finally, the SCO has been engaging in war games in southern areas of Russia and is claiming that they are merely preparing for a possible struggle with Islamic extremists.  Ironically, 70% of the member nations in the SCO are Muslim-majority nations.

This new armed movement on the part of the EU ensures that, along with the newest deal struck with Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Israel, we are remaining in a superior bargaining position.  To quote Civil War Union General John Buford, “General Meade, we have the high ground.”

Unlike past attempts, the U.S.-led NATO alliance backs the project, aiming to benefit from stronger militaries.

The club will be backed by a 5-billion-euro defense fund for buying weapons, a special fund to finance operations and money from the EU’s common budget for defense research.

Members will also be required to submit national plans and be subject to a review system identifying weak spots in European armies with the goal of plugging those gaps together.
Many governments say Russia’s seizure of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014 was a turning point, after years of defense spending cuts that left Europe without vital capabilities.

“This is a commitment for countries to do better together,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said. “It comes at a time of significant tension,” he said, referring indirectly to Russia’s rising military reach and Islamic militants who have attacked European cities.

When will the Leftist begin to falter on their passive approach to war?  You just wait.  When the European Union armies begin their neophyte push into military endeavors and they run into trouble and call on the US for help, the Leftists will be tossing aside any thought of being passive and demand action by our armies.

Mark my words.

Source:  Reuters

Image: Romebusinessschool.it