The EU will not be able to have its own army in the foreseeable future, European diplomatic chief Josep Borrel has said.
“We don’t have an army in Brussels and we won’t have a European army tomorrow. States control their defence policy,” RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.
He added that many European leaders had warned the European Commission of their opposition to the transfer of defence powers to European institutions.
“They do not want to give up sovereignty in this sphere, but we have to make every state work,” Borrell said.
Earlier, he also said the idea of a unified EU army was unrealisable.
According to him, it is utopian to believe that Europe will give up 27 armies for the sake of creating a single one.
Borrel pointed to the need to improve co-operation between EU members, as well as to monitor more closely how they use financial resources.