Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pushing for a joint European army. “We must build the military forces of Europe in such a way that the future of Europe is in the hands of Europeans and the decisions about Europe are made in Europe” he said on Saturday at the Munich Security Conference.
“In that regard, we are discussing military contingents with European state and government leaders and with the United States, capable of securing peace, not just in Ukraine, but in all of Europe” Zelensky added, noting that a joint European army is also developing a common arms production.
For Zelensky, a joint European army is not just about money. “People and weapons are not for nothing, but it’s not just about the budget either.” Rather, it is about people recognizing “that they must defend their own home.” Without the Ukrainian army, European armies would not be sufficient to hold back Russia in a hypothetical scenario, the Ukrainian president emphasized. “That is the reality” he said.