In a recent interview with the “Handelsblatt”, Norbert Röttgen, a German CDU foreign policy expert, expressed skepticism towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal for a European Union army. Röttgen emphasized that the EU does not currently have a standing army and that it would be unrealistic to quickly establish one. He deemed the proposal “not goal-oriented”.
At the same time, Röttgen acknowledged the pressing need for decisive action to ensure European security. “We must as Europeans take quick and massive action to take security in Europe into our own hands” he said.
On Sunday, at the conclusion of the Munich Security Conference, Zelensky had called for the creation of a European army. “The time has come to create the armed forces of Europe” he said, adding that one could not rule out the possibility that the Americans would decline to provide support if Europe were threatened and asked for help.