Don’t Let EU Army Undermine NATO

Sally McNamara / February 09, 2010

At the annual Munich Security Conference, German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle has called for the creation of a European army. Following the introduction of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU thinks that it is ready for the big time, ready to assume the burdens of international leadership. Last February, they sent a six-page letter to President Obama, seeking to play a greater role on the international stage.

But the United States should be in no hurry to relin­quish its transatlantic leadership role to the Euro­pean Union. Lady Thatcher described the creation of an EU army as “a piece of monumental folly that puts our security at risk in order to satisfy political vanity.” Rather than representing a genuine attempt to increase Europe’s military contribution to vital missions, such as Afghanistan, the EU is merely seeking to advance its own political ambitions. Rather than realizing America’s need for Europe to take on more of its own security burden, a European army is more likely to drain the already limited military capabilities of member states, and draw resources away from NATO. (more…)