Khaberni - Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in remarks to Reuters on Wednesday that Spain is urging the European Union to move towards forming a joint military force for the bloc as a deterrent measure.
The minister mentioned that the region should first focus on pooling its assets to properly integrate its defense industries, then mobilize a coalition of the willing.
Albares acknowledged that concerns about whether European citizens are ready for a military union is a "legitimate debate," but he emphasized that "any joint effort would be more efficient than 27 separate national armies."
These comments came ahead of an emergency meeting of EU leaders on Thursday in Brussels to coordinate a joint response to threats from US President Donald Trump's possibility of buying or annexing Greenland. A spokesman for the council confirmed late Wednesday that the meeting would occur despite Trump announcing on social media that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte "had set the framework for an agreement."
Albares, who was speaking after a meeting in Delhi on Wednesday with his Indian counterpart, emphasized that the purpose of such an army is not to replace NATO.
Albares added, "But we need to demonstrate that Europe is not a place that allows itself to be subject to military or economic extortion."
