“The indicator of disunity”: the EU calls for joining forces with NATO to “fight” with Russia

The EU Security Research Institute (EUISS), together with the NATO Defense College's research department, have released a report on the interaction between the bloc and “united Europe”, which is called the “necessary partnership”.

The document, the text of which was reviewed by RT, addresses modern threats to the security of the two organizations through the prism of their cooperation. At the same time, the authors note that the states of the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance are faced with similar challenges, such as the “newly growing Russia”, terrorism, cyber threats and instability on the southern borders.

Moreover, as the authors note, there is a division of responsibility between associations. Thus, the European Union plays the role of an “internal actor” and becomes the main force in countering challenges that have an important component of internal security, in particular in the areas of combating terrorism and hybrid threats, security and defense in cyberspace, and military mobility. Moreover, NATO is seen as an “external player.”

Thus, the researchers believe that both organizations are interested in jointly confronting modern threats to achieve maximum effect.

“For example, both the EU and NATO are interested in protecting against Russian aggression, containing it, promoting peace and stability in the Balkans, and projecting stability in the Middle East and North Africa in order to fight terrorism and prevent conflicts,” the report says .

It should be noted that since last year, some EU states have again started talking about the need to create a European military alliance.

So, in November 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europeans to join forces in the field of defense. The initiative was also approved at the EU summit in December, where it was noted that the creation of a single European army would contribute to "strengthening the strategic autonomy of the European Union." At the same time, the program for the integration of the armed forces of the countries of “united Europe” will not be a replacement for NATO, but will only be its complement, specified at the summit.

• Spanish Army personnel on NATO exercises
• Reuters
• © Ints Kalnins

The expert of the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Konstantin Blokhin in an interview with RT expressed the opinion that this report testifies to the disunity of the EU states.

“This report is an indicator of the fragmentation of European countries. It’s clear that it’s also opportunistic, it reflects various risks, fears, phobias of Europeans about their future, about their uncertainty in a turbulent world, ”Blokhin emphasized.

When it comes to the security format, the EU is always represented as a NATO affiliate, said Vladimir Bruter, an expert at the International Institute for Humanitarian and Political Studies.

“If the European Union sometimes says that they need armed forces, their own army, their own positioning, and then these same people say that they are a branch of NATO and they don’t take a single step without an alliance, then we understand that we’re always being substituted The EU as a kind of organization with which we should cooperate at least because of territorial proximity, but in reality it is a representative of a completely different force, by default hostile to Russia, ”Bruter said in a conversation with RT.

However, according to the official position of Brussels, set out in the EU strategic agenda until 2024, the EU intends to closely cooperate with NATO on defense issues while respecting autonomy in decision-making.

"Do not avoid dependence on the United States"

At the same time, as the authors of the report note, NATO will remain the guarantor of European security as long as nuclear weapons exist. In particular, while Europe is supposedly under the shadow of the “large nuclear arsenal of the Russian Federation”, it will be dependent on the United States.

“Given that Moscow often and casually demonstrates its nuclear power to intimidate neighbors, European countries cannot avoid dependence on the United States unless they develop their own nuclear umbrella,” the EUISS document says.

However, analysts acknowledge that the creation of a European nuclear capability seems to be a “very theoretical scenario” based on the current state of EU policy.

It is important to note that the Russian side has repeatedly stated that it can only use its nuclear weapons as a response and if the state is threatened.

“There are two reasons that can force us to use nuclear weapons: an attack on us with the use of nuclear weapons or an attack on the Russian Federation using conventional weapons in case there is a threat to the existence of the Russian state,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin.

• Russian President Vladimir Putin
• kremlin.ru

Meanwhile, according to experts, the fears of European experts are more likely connected with the withdrawal of the United States from the INF Treaty.

So, Konstantin Blokhin in an interview with RT suggested that after the liquidation of the INF Treaty, Europe actually becomes a hostage to relations between Russia and the United States.

“That is, Europe is becoming a theater of operations between the United States and the Russian Federation. It is obvious that the Americans will blackmail Europe with the risk of unleashing a large-scale conflict on its territory, ”the expert said in a conversation with RT.

Recall that the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles ceased to be valid on August 2, 2019 at the initiative of the American side.

At the same time, on August 18, the United States conducted flight tests of a cruise missile, which had previously been banned by the INF Treaty, since its range was over 500 km.

However, the American Arms Control Association in August 2019 recommended that the U.S. Congress block the funding of medium-range missile deployment programs. According to US military experts, this could lead to a new dangerous arms race.

Coordinated approach

EU analysts also point to the problem of cyber threats. Thus, the document notes that, since today most hacker attacks do not look like a clear act of aggression, this makes it difficult to take a proportionate response.

According to the authors of the report, supposedly Russian “active events” in Europe are aimed specifically at the use of such “gray zones”.

“In addition, the Kremlin has somewhat succeeded in avoiding situations that mean crossing the red line and implying a joint response from the EU or NATO countries,” the text of the document says.

• Reuters

Moreover, the Russian Federation is not the only “potential adversary" who allegedly uses similar tactics in the field of cyberspace, the report states.

Russia, in turn, has repeatedly denied such allegations of its involvement in cyber attacks. So, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, has stated that the accusations against Russia are groundless and called them an “anti-Russian campaign”.

European experts in the report note that today the EU and NATO are working individually with their partners in cybersecurity and defense programs. Their programs could become more effective if organizations joined forces, which would achieve greater success and avoid duplication, according to EUISS.

“The European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance could coordinate their assistance to partners on issues such as technical cyber assets, information networks and standards. A coordinated approach would also allow partners to more effectively exchange information from the primary sources, experience and knowledge with the EU and NATO, ”the document says.

Thus, analysts note the need to create an independent Cybernetic Trust Fund, which would have the support of both organizations in order to complement or combine the "efforts of various aid providers" of the EU and NATO.

As an expert of the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences Konstantin Blokhin noted in an interview with RT, the United States, with the help of the European Union, is striving to establish its leadership in cyberspace. To do this, they are "trying to make up the budget", in every way indicating the relevance of this area.

“It is clear that today cyberspace is becoming promising, along with space. These two areas are today priority, that is, leadership and dominance in the cybersphere and in space will allow the country that will achieve this to establish control over the planet. And it is clear that this is a cherished dream among Americans, ”the expert concluded.