EU Wants Its Own Army As Trust In US Wavers – But Who Will Lead, Who Will Pay And Who Will Obey? | World News

New Delhi: Earlier this year, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez asked a question echoing between the capitals – what if Europe had its own army?

He didn’t invented the idea. He has been swimming for decades. Once he whispered in the corridors after the war. Later, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was strengthened. Now, he’s back to the headlines. War in Ukraine sharpened fears. Russia’s shadow reached the west. Conflict with the old alliances is cracking.

European leaders see the shift. The most reliable partner of the continent seems to be scattered. Some call it a call for awakening.

Efforts were made years ago. Treaties were signed. Plans were prepared. However, political error lines broke the vision. Once wills, France retreated. NATO was already shaped. The United States and Canada anchored. And as the Soviet threat decreased, urgency decreased.

Then the Crimea came. Then 2022 came. Russia passed a line. The war in Ukraine redefined Europe’s risk map. Moscow no longer feels like a pale echo. It seemed like a rising force. Suddenly, the defense budgets went upwards. The mood has changed.

European security is now sitting on a tighter rope. The United States is looking at the Pacific. China is rising. American attention is divided. Leaders in Europe read between lines – they must be ready with Washington or without Washington.

In 2018, the French President supported a stronger European defense structure. However, many countries hesitated. For example, Eastern Europe was worried that it could alienate the United States. North and neutral others expressed similar concerns.

There is more strict military coordination support. But full -scale integration? Not yet. There is confusion on the way that such a force will take. Are national armies left? Does a single command come about?

Analysts say that if all EU countries combine their forces, the army may rival the US army and leave Russia behind. However, numbers do not tell the whole story. Logistics complicates everything. Troops, tanks and air support – all of them are dispersed irregularly.

Only a few countries have important resources. France. Germany. Poland. England left the EU, but continues to be NATO column. There are nuclear skills, but only in London and Paris.

How prepared is the European war? Depends on who asks. Most agree that the continent is enough to defend itself. However, it is another issue to distribute it effectively. Some countries sent weapons to Ukraine. But they retreated enough to protect their own limits.

The European Union has a article – Article 42.7. It binds all members to defend any attacked. But in real world crises, NATO comes in. Makes an EU army less urgent or less convincing.

There are plans. The offers swim around. A model proposes to create a common military frame. Another predicts to protect each country’s powers but to contribute to the EU battalion. But who manages? Who is paying? Nobody knows.

The questions were not solved. Who command? Who decides when to strike? Who controls the budget? The answers do not come easy.

Some experts doubt that the United Army will emerge within the next decade. The timetables are very short. Politics is also confused.

For now, the priority lies elsewhere – it is developing Europe’s own preparation. The United States implied that Europe should take more responsibility for years. For decades, the presidents – Eisenhower, Nixon, Kennedy and Obama – all said that.

This message just grew loudly.

A European power can cause friction with Washington. But greater concern? What if it fails the most when necessary? In this case, history argues that the United States will intervene again, as in the past wars.

Recent developments indicate that the United States is still stopping in Europe. Trump recently appointed the best American general to control NATO’s European Command. This tradition dates back to 1951. He didn’t break.

At the same time, the United States wants load sharing. He invites Europe to spend more. NATO wants members to invest 5% of GDP in defense – a leap from the old 2% target. This request will echo this month along the NATO summit in The Hague.

But the money is only one side of the coin. Europe does not build fast weapons enough. Defense Industries Lag. As tensions increase, production does not survive.

Efforts continue. A few EU countries carried out defense budgets. Poland is now leading about 7% of GDP. Lithuania plans to follow. These countries live close to the Russian border. His fears are real. Their urgency is higher.

Nevertheless, without the United States, Europe’s arsenal is rapidly pearls. Satellites, drones and advanced missiles – are expensive. No country wants to cover the full cost.

In order to meet increasing demands, governments may have to reduce spending elsewhere. Although outside the EU, England stays in NATO and is considering overseas aid to increase the defense.

But to create a European army? This is a completely different equation.

Actually? It is unlikely to be soon.

There is very little agreement. No road map. Too much contradictory. A common army will require a joint command, shared money and shared power. This shook national sovereignty. He would provoke political storms.

Even those who support the idea demand sacrifices that others are not willing to do.

For now, the idea lives on paper, catwalks and conversations. But on the ground, Europe is still leaning on old alliances with new suspicions.