Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (SMER) has again rejected the idea of creating a joint European army, insisting that European defence should remain under NATO command rather than that of the European Union.
Speaking in Bratislava on Wednesday, Kaliňák was responding to remarks by EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, who has proposed the creation of a permanent European army. Kaliňák warned against building parallel defence structures, describing them as costly and unnecessary.
The Lithuanian EU commissioner said at a security conference in Sweden on Sunday (11 January) that the European Union should consider establishing a permanent European army of 100,000 soldiers. In light of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the shift of US attention away from Europe and threats directed at Greenland, Kubilius argued in favour of a “big bang” approach to rethinking Europe’s joint defence.
Meanwhile, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Alexus Grynkewich, met with Slovak President Peter Pellegrini. They discussed the global security situation, NATO’s role and the strengthening of its eastern flank.
Source: TASR
