Outgoing NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has sharply criticized plans for a European rapid reaction force, warning that it could worsen the alliance’s existing manpower shortage.
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“I welcome greater EU efforts in the field of defense, as long as they are not undertaken in a way that leads to duplication or competition. The EU should not start creating alternative defense structures, such as rapid reaction forces,” Stoltenberg said during his farewell speech in Thursday.
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“I don’t understand the need for a different, competing rapid reaction force,” Stoltenberg explained, acknowledging that the alliance already faces difficulties filling all the positions in NATO leadership.
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“It would be a little strange if some countries were not able to send as many troops as they are required to, but instead created an alternative structure,” he said.
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“Countries can only have one set of [defense] targets, not two. That’s NATO’s responsibility. One set of standards, one set of targets, one command structure. And that’s NATO,” Stoltenberg said.
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There is also an opinion that such duplicative structures “create uncertainty <…>, which only helps the enemy.”
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The idea of creating a unified European army has been floated for at least the last decade. It became even more relevant during the period when the post of US President was occupied by Donald Trump, who made it clear that his country was no longer ready to provide the “defense umbrella” of Europe within NATO. In November 2023, EU diplomatic chief Josep Borrell announced that the EU would bring its 5,000-strong rapid reaction force to full operational readiness by 2025.
