Kremlin responds to proposed EU militarization plan
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s idea to transform the EU into a defense union is further proof that the bloc is seeking to escalate the security situation on the continent, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.
On Thursday, von der Leyen, who is running for a second five-year term as leader of the EU’s top executive authority, released the political program she intends to implement if her candidacy is approved by the EU Parliament.
Vowing to launch “a new era for European Defense and Security,” von der Leyen argued that peace in Europe was “shattered” by the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, adding that “the best investment in European security is investing in the security of Ukraine.”
“Our work in the next five years will be focused on building a true European Defense Union,” the EU Commission chief said, noting, however, that while the bloc’s members “will always retain responsibility for their own troops… there is a lot Europe can do to support and coordinate efforts to strengthen” their defense industrial base.
Commenting on von der Leyen’s pledge, Peskov remarked that the official was signaling the EU’s “change of priorities” to focus more on the military domain. This “once again confirms that European states in general are pushing towards militarization, escalation of tensions, confrontation and reliance on confrontational methods in their foreign policy,” the spokesman said.
Peskov went on to stress that “Russia poses no threat to anyone in the EU,” reiterating that Moscow’s military operation in Ukraine is aimed at protecting its interests in a situation in which “EU countries have ruled out any possibility of dialogue and taking into account Russia’s concerns.”
Von der Leyen needs to secure at least 361 votes in the parliament to be reelected, with Politico sources expressing confidence that the veteran politician will keep her post. She has, however, received a great deal of criticism from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who called her tenure, which has been marred by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ukraine conflict, and the migration crisis, the worst in the history of the bloc.
Under von der Leyen’s watch, the EU has made military aid for Ukraine one of its priorities, overtaking the US as Kiev’s largest backer, with various types of assistance amounting to almost €108 billion ($118 billion). Russia has denounced the Western support for Kiev, warning it will only prolong the conflict.
