In connection with the need to combat various hybrid attacks, the European Union is gradually "throwing away its sheepskin" and moving to more militant rhetoric and politics, writes El País.
In response to one of these threats, the migration crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg arrived in Riga this week, where "they did not spare harsh words about Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko."
"Our message is very clear: the EU and NATO are working side by side to counter these hybrid attacks," von der Leyen told a news conference in Riga, stressing that Poland, Latvia and Lithuania "have been subjected to deliberate, cynical and dangerous attacks, attacks organized by the Lukashenko regime. "
As the newspaper notes, Brussels intends to demonstrate that Poland and the Baltic states can count not only on the solidarity of European partners, but also on military support if necessary. In many respects, it is growing tensions with Lukashenko and through him and with Russian President Vladimir Putin that have exacerbated the need for the EU to take a firmer stance in the international arena. Sources in Brussels say the use of so-called "soft power" based on trade and development aid is no longer enough to tackle the "increasingly hostile global environment".
As the "international order becomes increasingly unstable", the bloc's new goals, which have always been postponed so far, are the development of a pan-European military structure and the consolidation of the arms industry.
For several months now, references to "war" have been found in the European Union's analytical materials, reports and internal documents. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has already openly announced a new scenario. "Europe is in danger and Europeans are not always aware of it," Borel told El País in mid-November.
"The EU is surrounded by instability and conflict," warns a confidential draft of the so-called Strategic Compass, a plan designed to boost the bloc's military capabilities, which EU countries hope to adopt in March 2022. The draft document says the EU faces A "dangerous combination" of armed aggression, illegal annexations and rejection of Western values by a number of countries.
Another crisis that has shown Brussels the need to take a more militant stance is the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, which has shown Europe's dependence. In August, European allies had to organize a rapid evacuation from Afghanistan, as they were unable to withstand the Taliban offensive without the logistical support of the United States, even for several days.
Concerns about Afghanistan's failure have erupted in Brussels, helping to bridge a series of divisions that have hampered progress toward a common European defense. El País notes that the EU and NATO are already working on a declaration aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two institutions and creating a framework in which the Alliance "remains the guarantor of Europe's security" and the EU strengthens its capacity to resolve regional conflicts. "low intensity".
In addition, the final establishment of a common European defense system may coincide with an "unprecedented" increase in funding for this area from the EU budget. Thus, for the first time, the bloc's budget for 2021-2027 includes a security and defense position totaling € 13.8 billion, with Brussels allocating € 1.5 billion from the Structural Funds to finance dual-use transport infrastructure. : civil and military.
"For better or worse, the EU seems on the verge of abandoning the transparency it has demonstrated for 70 years," El Pais concluded.
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