“It’s uncomfortable to be within the reach of missiles”: why the EU started talking about the need to ensure its security

Arms control issues should be addressed with the participation of European countries. This was in an interview with the newspaper Le Monde said the Minister of the Armed Forces of France Florence Parley.

“Historically, arms control treaties have mainly been concluded between the United States and the Soviet Union, and later with Russia. We Europeans cannot stand by and bear the loss of the gap (these agreements. - RT ). It’s not very comfortable to be within range of missiles, ”the minister said.

On the same day, Parley held talks with Pentagon chief Mark Esper. He first visited France after taking office. One of the topics of their conversation was the situation around the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF Treaty). The White House announced the withdrawal from this agreement at the beginning of the year. On 2 August, the INF Treaty lost force.

“It is necessary to re-establish the principles of trust, thanks to which arms in Europe - both conventional and nuclear - will be taken under control. France seeks to create conditions for strengthening European security. This can be achieved by creating a common strategic culture, expanding cooperation programs between European countries. But architecture is also needed, ”Parley said in an interview with Le Monde.

• French Defense Minister Florence Parley and Pentagon CEO Marc Esper at a press conference in Paris
• AFP
• © Zakaria ABDELKAFI

This is not the first time that France has taken initiatives to strengthen the defense capabilities of EU countries and coordinate their actions on security issues. So, on November 6, 2018, on the air of Radio Europe 1, French President Emmanuel Macron called on the EU countries to strengthen integration in the military field.

“We are forced to defend ourselves against China, Russia and even the United States,” the French leader said.

Macron has repeatedly expressed concern about the US decision to withdraw from the INF Treaty. In the same interview with Europe 1, he noted that the security of Europe will be the first victim of this decision by American leader Donald Trump.

European Concern

Statements by French politicians about the need to strengthen the role of Europe in security matters are quite logical, experts say.

“US European partners are not interested in intensifying the arms race. The arrival time of Russian missiles to Paris is much shorter than to New York. For now, of course, it is at least premature to discuss this topic. Russia is not going to be the first to start an arms race and put Europe under a potential blow. However, it is clear that the EU countries are concerned, ”said Dmitry Abzalov, president of the Center for Strategic Communications, in an interview with RT.

• US troops during NATO exercises
• © Ognen Teofilovski

In his opinion, with the termination of the INF Treaty, Germany and France, like no other EU countries, began to be interested in some kind of new agreement that would guarantee the security of Europe.

“Berlin and Paris occupy a leading position in the European Union. And France’s place in European security architecture is special by definition. This country not only claims to be a leader in the EU. She has a large army and experience in the production of intermediate and shorter-range missiles. If EU countries join any arms race, not only possible risks will fall on this country, but also significant expenses, ”said Abzalov.

According to the head of the Center for French Studies of the Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yuri Rubinsky, it is too early to say that the EU can do without US military assistance.

“There is talk (and very active) that the EU countries could pursue their own security policy. However, there are almost no practical steps in this direction yet, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.

Rubinsky emphasizes that, despite Macron’s statements, the role of Europe in resolving security issues in NATO has declined recently.

“Under Donald Trump, the United States took a tough course towards a unilateral solution to all world problems. The American president prefers to dictate his program of action to Europeans rather than letting them do something on their own. For example, he firmly insists that European NATO allies bring their defense spending to 2% of GDP. Not everyone in Europe likes this, ”says Rubinsky.

Security architecture

It is possible that Europeans will eventually get down to business from talking about ensuring their own security.

“The interview that Le Monde Parley gave was impossible to imagine five years ago. The very fact that there is talk that Europe could pursue its own security policy already confirms that some change has taken place in the mood of Europeans. It is connected with the destruction of the old architecture of world security, and with the economic confrontation between the EU and the USA, which has intensified due to the efforts of Trump, ”says Abzalov.

In his opinion, EU countries can take an independent position on security issues.

“But this is not a question in the near future,” the expert believes.

At the same time, Abzalov emphasizes that the development of a common position on any issue, especially related to defense, has always been a rather difficult task for the EU countries.

“Let's take questions regarding the protection of the sky of Europe from missiles. It is quite obvious here that there is the position of Poland, Romania, the Baltic states. Poles, let’s say, directly beg the United States to deploy missiles on their territory. And there are Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria. They, with varying degrees of categorization and with different reservations, oppose such weapons being placed on their territory, ”Abzalov explained.

One of the most difficult problems that Europeans will face when trying to create their own army or some kind of interstate associations that guarantee the security of the European Union is the existence of NATO.

“The North Atlantic Alliance has not disappeared, its structures also exist safely. The United States dominates NATO. It’s hard to see Europe’s security without the Americans, because the entire defense strategy of the EU countries was built on the assumption that the Americans would intervene and help, ”says Rubinsky.

According to experts, ensuring security in Europe is impossible without interaction with Russia. In particular, Macron spoke about this at a meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin during his visit to France on August 19.

“I think we need to deeply rethink these rules. I believe that it is necessary to build a new architecture of trust and security in Europe. The European continent will never achieve stability and security without appeasing and clarifying relations with Russia, ”the French president emphasized.