According to EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, European governments should invest in an “initial entry force” and must learn lessons from the disaster in Afghanistan. In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, Borrell says on Monday (30 August) that this should initially include five thousand soldiers who can respond quickly to crises like the one in Afghanistan. “The Americans will no longer be fighting other people's wars”, he said.
When the situation in Afghanistan deteriorated, the United States quickly sent additional military personnel to the country. This involved about six thousand men. “As Europeans, we have not been able to do that”, Borrell responds in the interview.
“As Europeans, we should use this crisis to learn how to cooperate more. And to strengthen the idea of strategic autonomy. We need to be able to move ourselves. By strengthening our capabilities, we strengthen NATO”, Borrell said.
Borrell believes that European Union member states should accelerate their efforts to build a common defence policy.
