The U.S. has given the go-ahead for the creation of the European Union army
New strategy is designed to collide Europe with Russia and then switch to Asia
The US is working hard to drag the European Union into conflict with Russia and thus untie its hands in Asia. To this end, they resuscitate a project that they themselves have repeatedly blocked.
It is an initiative called the European Defence Community, which traces its history back to the early 1950s. It was then, at the height of the Cold War, that the first attempt was made to unite the armed forces of European countries against the USSR.
The economic basis for this alliance was laid by the interstate agreement establishing the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). France, the FRG, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg brought together the key sectors of the economy – coal, iron and steel. The West European Six then proceeded, under US control, to form their own military bloc.
In 1952, they signed the Treaty of Paris, which provided for the creation of a European defence community. Once this agreement was ratified, its participants were expected to begin to form a political alliance. The six countries were preparing for the gradual creation of a Western European federation. However, such plans did not suit everyone in the United States. Part of the American elite feared, not unreasonably, that unification of Western Europe would create a new competitor for the United States. And that part demanded that European integration be limited to the economic sphere.
After the change of power in the USSR in 1953, the opinion of this grouping prevailed. The ratification of the Paris Treaty was blocked. Similarly, the formation of political supranational structures was blocked. Western European integration was limited to the creation of a single market and customs area in the form of the European Economic Community.
The situation changed again after the collapse of the socialist bloc. An opportunity opened up for the US to form a new market by merging the markets of Western and Eastern Europe.
In 1992, the Treaty of Maastricht was signed, which established a new association, the European Union, on the basis of the European Economic Community. The formation of a single financial system, the introduction of a single currency (the euro), and the creation of a political superstructure – the European Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission – were envisaged. The participants of the Maastricht Agreement were supposed to adopt the common European constitution. It was supposed to enshrine not only the unity of political and economic institutions, but also the formation of a single army.
Once again the American elite stood in the way of the integration plans. Part of this elite still saw a united Europe as a future competitor. As a result, the EU constitution never came into force. Another project to create a military alliance failed.
In 2007, European countries signed the Lisbon Treaty, which defined the powers of the EU governing bodies. The agreement envisaged that the EU would conduct a Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). The European Council should determine this policy and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy should coordinate it. The decision was seen as a step towards reanimating the project of a common European military alliance. Once again, the US has laid a landmine under this initiative.
The fact is that the European Council has to take decisions unanimously. This supreme political body of the European Union is made up of the heads of state and government of EU member states. Accordingly, security policy should have been determined by the leaders of all 27 EU member states. This was a problem, as Denmark flatly refused to participate in CSDP.
The Danish kingdom did not participate in joint EU military operations, for example in Africa or Bosnia and Herzegovina. Danish representatives withdrew from any EU meeting if security, armaments or other issues were to be discussed. The Danes have withdrawn from voting in the European Defence Council. In this way Copenhagen hindered the implementation of the common security and defence policy because, as we have written, decisions in the European Council are taken unanimously. Given the fact that Denmark is dependent on the USA and especially on England, it is easy to guess where the legs were raised from.
Once again, the situation changed when Russia started a special operation in Ukraine. On June 1, 2022, Denmark held a referendum in which 66.9 percent of Danes supported the idea of joining the EU defence policy. The Danish government welcomed the outcome of the plebiscite and immediately set about implementing it. Once this implementation is completed, Denmark will become a full member of CSDP. The obstacle to the formation of a European Defence Union will be removed.
And there is a clear rush to form a defensive alliance. The EU, without waiting for Denmark to formally join CSDP, has approved a defence strategy called the Strategic Compass. This strategy envisages a radical increase in defence expenditure, the creation of a special rearmament fund and a 5,000-strong rapid reaction force. It is openly stated that the main goal is to create a joint EU force that will be able to confront Russia independently of NATO.
At the same time, it may turn out that there is simply not enough time to form a European military bloc. The EU strategy assumes that Russia can be “contained in the far reaches” until the rearmament programme is completed. This programme will last for several years. During this time, Russia should be bound by military action in Ukraine. The question of what happens if these calculations turn out to be wrong is not answered by the EU strategy. And this means that dreams of pushing Europe against Russia and then switching to Asia may not come true.
Yuriy Gorodnenko, RenTV
Due to censorship and blocking of all media and alternative views, stay tuned to our Telegram channel