Historian Timothy Garton Ash says the European defense industry is not receiving enough orders and the EU is still heavily dependent on the United States.
The European Union should create its own armed forces to defend against Russian expansion and be independent from the United States in terms of security. Historian and political commentator Timothy Garton Ash reported this in a column in The Guardian.
According to him, the EU urgently needs to increase the supply of ammunition and weapons to Ukraine so that the Ukrainian Armed Forces can not only defend themselves but also turn the tide of the war in 2025.
The article notes that in a market economy, arms manufacturers need large and specific orders before they can increase production. However, the European defense industry cannot receive them in sufficient quantities.
The expert stated that Europe is still largely dependent on the USA and NATO. The North Atlantic Alliance is based on the same States’ guarantees under Article 5. But what will Europe do if Washington decides not to defend, for example, Estonia, which is under attack by Russia?
“Or if Putin no longer believes Washington can do this – perhaps he miscalculated, as in Ukraine? If Europe wants to defend itself, it must create armies that people want to join,” Ash said.
Previous media had reported that Russia’s war in Ukraine had revived the EU’s plans to become even bigger. According to journalists, the rapid expansion of the European Union will take place at a time when the bloc is trying to strengthen its position, given the war in Ukraine and the division in the world order.
In addition, Poland stated that Russia could attack NATO countries if Ukraine loses. Defense Minister Ladislav Kosiniak-Kamysh said Warsaw will be fully ready to create the European Union’s rapid response force as early as 2024-2025.
Source: Focus
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