The European Union’s foreign and defense ministers reached an agreement on Monday on a security strategy that provides for up to 5,000 troops to be swiftly deployed in times of crisis.
As part of the newly approved “Strategic Compass” strategy, the rapid deployment force will be able to conduct land as well as sea exercises and “enhance military mobility,” according to an EU webpage.
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“The current hostile environment requires a quantum leap forward,” tweeted the EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell. “The Compass gives us an ambitious plan for action for a stronger EU security and defence for the next decade.”
German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Monday that it is ready to provide “the core” of the EU’s rapid reaction force by 2025, when it is set to be operational, reported Reuters.
“The EU needs to be able to protect its citizens and to contribute to international peace and security,” the EU said in a statement obtained by the outlet. “This is all the more important at a time when war has returned to Europe, following the unjustified and unprovoked Russian aggression against Ukraine.”
The strategy is aimed at strengthening the EU’s security and defense policies by 2030, including being ready to deploy Common Defence and Security Policy mission experts within 30 days even in “complex environments.”
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Work on drafting the strategy first began in 2020. The new agreement comes as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has extended into its fourth week.
The rapid reaction forces are expected to replace other existing military groups that the EU has had since 2007.
