Berlin and Rome's resistance: EU will not establish a new defense group
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, has canceled at the last minute an initiative to establish a high-level expert group to strengthen European defense policy. According to dpa, this was due to opposition from the governments of Germany and Italy. It was planned to include representatives from the United Kingdom and Ukraine in the group, alongside EU member states.
Opposition from Berlin and Rome: EU will not form a new defense group
The plan to establish a high-level expert group in the European Union, which was supposed to develop proposals to strengthen European defense capabilities, has fallen through.
According to the dpa agency, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, canceled the presentation of the group, scheduled for September 7, "at the last minute."
An EU official in Brussels told the agency that some member states did not consider the creation of such a group to be an appropriate step under the current circumstances.
Following negotiations with the defense ministers of EU countries, it was decided not to pursue this initiative.
According to dpa, the governments of Germany and Italy, in particular, opposed the creation of the expert group.
According to the plan, the new expert group was to be led by Kaja Kallas and was expected to develop proposals on how to quickly and effectively address existing gaps in Europe's military capabilities.
The group was planned to present a report containing concrete recommendations based on the results of its work.
Its composition was intended to include high-ranking politicians and military officials from several EU countries, as well as representatives from the United Kingdom and Ukraine.
The members of the group were to be officially introduced at a special event on the morning of September 7.
On September 1, following an informal meeting of EU defense ministers in Wicklow, Ireland, Kallas announced that Ukraine would be involved in the process of developing solutions aimed at strengthening European defense capabilities.
According to her, Kyiv was to join the new group of high-ranking politicians and military officials, alongside EU countries and the United Kingdom.
Kallas emphasized that Ukraine has gained extensive experience on the battlefield, calling the country a "world leader" in military innovation.