Europe must be alert and prepare itself in the face of the “multiple” threats it faces. The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called this Wednesday to strengthen the European defense industry and for member states to invest more in it. At a time when the Union is watching with concern as Russia's war in Ukraine grows longer and more complicated, and sees the Kremlin increasing its threats and extending its tentacles to destabilize the region, the conservative leader is already campaigning for a repeat of his mandate at the head of the municipal council has called for the establishment of a new security architecture and the promotion of financing for defense companies. Von der Leyen has also suggested opening the debate and taking advantage of Russian assets frozen by European sanctions to buy ammunition and weapons for Ukraine. “It is time for Europe to take a step forward,” he told the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg. “The threat of war may not be immediate, but it is not impossible,” he began.
It is a controversial proposal. The EU and the G-7 countries, which unite the world's most industrialized economies, have decided to freeze the benefits of Russian assets – it is estimated that around 270 billion euros are frozen, two-thirds of this amount in the EU, mainly in Belgium – to use them in the future reconstruction of Ukraine. But the path to using this money, even for this goal, was not easy and led to doubts among several Member States about the legality of the measure and the possible impact it could have on the EU as an investment destination. There are no clear calculations about what the return will be on these assets, which have been invested in a separate account since February 12, but last year these extraordinary gains amounted to about 4.4 billion euros.
Von der Leyen is now opening another door: that this extraordinary income will be used not only for reconstruction, but also for the rearmament of Kiev through joint purchases of military materials. “There is no greater symbol and no greater use for this money to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live.” “Ultimately this is about Europe taking responsibility for its own security,” said the chairman of the Community board in a parliamentary debate on European security and defense.
The European Commission wants to strengthen its arms industry, which has fallen behind after years of disinvestment by member states. Brussels is currently finalizing a new defense strategy that, as this newspaper expected, will support a common shopping center (like the one for the purchase of gasoline or vaccines against Covid-19) with programs to standardize the partners' arsenals Currently very diverse and with projects to Promote private (through the promotion of investment networks) and public financing. The new strategy, currently being drawn up by High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and Home Affairs Commissioner Thierry Breton, calls on Member States and the European Investment Bank (EIB) to change the institution's credit policy. According to the draft text, the financing of weapons and ammunition companies.
The head of the local administration has assured that the threat of war in the EU is not urgent, but cannot be ruled out either. “The risks of war should not be overstated, but we must be prepared to face them. And that begins with the urgent need to rebuild, replenish and modernize member states’ armed forces,” he noted. The leader of the Renew Liberals in the European Parliament, Valerie Hayer, has also insisted: “We must build a real internal defense market.”
Von der Leyen's call for rearmament and the preparation of the strategy coincide with a moment of great concern in the EU, which is watching the United States and the possible return of Donald Trump to the White House. Furthermore, Ukraine finds itself at a complicated and crucial time on the battlefield, with Russia having (albeit tentatively) regained the initiative and Kiev troops facing ammunition shortages and fighting with worn-out weapons. According to Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, several member states are trying to promote a common purchasing plan outside the EU to speed up orders and have identified some suppliers who can make these almost immediate deliveries.
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Others, such as the Baltics and Poland, are also demanding that other partners send increasingly powerful weapons to Ukraine, a step that Germany, for example, rejects. Berlin has refused to deliver Taurus cruise missiles to Kiev – very precise weapons that can have a range of about 500 kilometers. In the background, French President Emmanuel Macron has even suggested that sending ground troops from NATO-allied countries to Ukraine would not be ruled out, even if they were not involved in a fight with Russia.
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