Defense will become an important part of Ukraine’s engagement with the European Union in the context of its future accession, says Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine’s ambassador to the EU, in an interview.

The European Defence Union and Security Cooperation

The concept of the European Defence Union, as well as the European Security Council and the United European Armed Forces, which is being promoted by EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, is currently under consideration. However, it appears to be a logical response to the dramatic changes in Europe’s security environment amid Russia’s ongoing full-scale military aggression against Ukraine and changes in the transatlantic partnership format.

The idea of creating the European Defence Union, as well as the European Security Council and the United European Armed Forces, which is being promoted by EU Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius, is still being reflected on, but it seems a logical response to the drastic changes in Europe’s security environment in the face of Russia’s ongoing full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine and changes in the transatlantic partnership format

– Vsevolod Chentsov

Although the EU remains a powerful economic player, its defence dimension is significantly fragmented and dependent on NATO, primarily on the United States, Chentsov noted.

The creation of the European Defence Union could mean deeper coordination of defence budgets, joint purchases of weapons, standardisation of weapons and military equipment, and the formation of real common quick-reaction forces. This is not necessarily an alternative to NATO, but rather an attempt to strengthen the Alliance’s European pillar. Decisions really need to be made faster and more efficiently

– Vsevolod Chentsov

In his view, the creation of the European Security Council could become a mechanism for faster adoption of strategic decisions in crisis situations, bypassing lengthy intergovernmental coordination.

However, a difficult sovereignty question arises: are all EU member states ready to transfer part of control over their armed forces to a supranational level? Without the political will of the EU’s leading countries, such an initiative risks remaining declarative

– diplomat

In his view, Ukraine should also be part of this process in the context of future membership.

European defence requires an appropriate institutional base for close cooperation among member countries; the idea behind this mechanism is the European Defence Union, Kubilius believes.