EU defense chiefs urge politics to make decisions

BRUSSELS (ANP) – The threats facing Europe are “real, complex, and interconnected,” said General Robert Brieger, chairman of the Military Committee of the European Union (EUMC). “Responding to this requires more than statements. It requires political will, unity, and the means to act.”

He referred, among other things, to a possible EU mission in Ukraine that has been discussed for a long time without any decisions being made.

Concrete action must also be taken regarding Article 427 of the EU treaty, which obliges mutual assistance if an EU member state is attacked. “As military personnel, we want to know what military-operational measures can be taken based on that article.”

The production of defense materials must be significantly increased to close a large number of gaps, Brieger said. According to him, this includes artillery, ammunition, air defense, anti-drone systems, and military transport vehicles.

“In the decades following the Cold War, we have consumed the peace dividend,” said Brieger. “It will take years to close these gaps, if there is the necessary political will and sufficient incentives for the defense industry.”

He sees that there are initiatives from the European Commission and a number of EU member states to “accelerate in this direction.”

(May 15, 2025)