EU defense chief calls for creating unified military force to offset declining US role

BRUSSELS, Jan 11 (KUNA) -- European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius called on Sunday for the creation of a permanent European military force of 100,000 troops to serve as the backbone of European defense to offset the declining US role.
Kubilius made the remarks in a speech delivered during his participation in the "Folk och Forsvar - National Conference 2026" under the title "Europe Under Pressure," He pointed out that said Europe is facing unprecedented security pressures amid the ongoing Russian threat and growing signs of a US military shift away from the European continent toward the Indo-Pacific region.
He stressed that the future of European security requires a "big bang" in defence readiness, not only in terms of funding and armaments, but also at the institutional and political levels.
Russia's military budget amounts to around 85 percent of the total defense spending of EU Member States, he noted, emphasizing that there are no indications that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to abandon a war economy approach, even in the event of a peace settlement.
Kubilius noted that the United States is openly asking Europeans to take full responsibility for the continent's conventional defence, a request that "we cannot disagree with," which, he said, necessitates accelerating the implementation of the "Defense Readiness 2030" agenda launched by the European Union at the start of the current Commission's mandate.
He added that European defense independence does not mean leaving the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) but rather being prepared to defend Europe within the Alliance, albeit with a much smaller American presence.
He pointing out that the era of "Pax Americana" is over, as recently stated by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
In this context, the European Defense Commissioner outlined three main pillars of European defence readiness: material defense readiness (funding, production and weapons), institutional defense readiness (organization and command structures), and political defense readiness (the will to deter, defend and, if necessary, fight), warning that the failure of any one pillar would mean the failure of the entire defence system.
Kubilius questioned how to replace the permanent US military force in Europe, numbering around 100,000 troops, arguing that the realistic alternative cannot be reliance on a single country or on a collection of 27 limited-capability national armies, but rather the creation of a "powerful, standing European military force" of the same size.
He also called for exploring the establishment of a "European pillar within NATO," including a unified European command, command-and-control structures, and a European headquarters, should the US role diminish.
On institutional reform, he proposed activating the idea of formally establishing a "European Security Council," comprising a limited number of key Member States with rotating members, in addition to the Presidents of the European Commission and the European Council, and involving the United Kingdom when discussing broader European security issues.
Such a council would serve as a unified leadership platform capable of preparing swift and effective defence decisions, Kubilius argued.
He noted that the first real test for such a European Security Council would be Ukraine, warning that merely maintaining the current level of support could lead to a deterioration of the situation on the ground in Russia's favor, in the absence of any signs that Moscow is willing to accept peace plans.
The European Defense Commissioner concluded by underscoring the importance of political will in defense, recalling Sweden's historic support for the independence of the Baltic states.
He affirmed that "political defense readiness means standing together as Europeans, and today also with Ukraine." These remarks come as statements by US President Donald Trump, particularly his comments about wanting to take over Greenland, have heightened concerns among NATO allies over the reliability of Washington's commitment to European security, prompting several European countries to step up efforts to strengthen their military capabilities in the face of Russian threats. (end) arn.ibi