The European Union could have its own special forces commandos under controversial plans for a rapid reaction force of 5,000 troops, The Telegraph can disclose.
The proposals aim to create a “land, air and maritime” force that could be deployed quickly to intervene anywhere in the world, particularly to safeguard the evacuation of officials and staff.
Its formation could allow the EU to “respond decisively and prevent and manage crises in order to assert itself as a more credible security and defence actor”, according to a report by EU officials and MEPs.
Original plans for the expeditionary force were drawn up after the flawed withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, when EU leaders said the bloc needed the ability to operate independently of the US and Nato.
The joint military force could be deployable without the unanimous support of the EU’s 27 member states in order to prevent it becoming snarled up in political wrangling.
5,000 men is a pretty poor show. In 1999 the UK alone were ready to pledge a pool of 20,000 with a commitment to have 12,000 in a state of readiness at any given time. Why the reduction in ambition? It seems like the opposite of what the current situation calls for. In 1999 we were still talking about the “peace dividend”.
EU Marines?
What are 5000 troops gonna defend lmao
>rapid reaction force of 5,000 troops
Ah yes… Legio Europa!
“Rapid reaction” and the EU is sort of a political oxymoron but would be happy to see this happen if true.
Now we just need to make it 100 times larger and it might actually be good!
Hot take as a non-EU Citizen but I think the EU needs to have it’s own standing army. Europe cannot defend itself if European defense remains divided.
What are the Eurocorps for then ?
If the situation arises, will it be rapidly deployed against Russia? Cause if the answer is different than ‘yes’ then it will be worse than useless.
5000 lol… make it atleast 20k to have any actual meaning.
5000 troops won’t do anything except maybe act as peacekeepers, atleast 20k must be created. This is a joke
I’m probably wrong, but I thought something like this already existed?
You people don’t understand that having 5k soldiers isn’t the point. Having a legislative framework to use it, deciding who commands it, how procurement is being handled etc. is the point.
Once you have the whole system in place and working, recruiting more people is trivial. Look at Frontex.
5k isn’t much though
So it begins, from the steppe of Ukraine, a new purpose, all hail the EU army 🇪🇺
18 comments
**From The Telegraph:**
The European Union could have its own special forces commandos under controversial plans for a rapid reaction force of 5,000 troops, The Telegraph can disclose.
The proposals aim to create a “land, air and maritime” force that could be deployed quickly to intervene anywhere in the world, particularly to safeguard the evacuation of officials and staff.
Its formation could allow the EU to “respond decisively and prevent and manage crises in order to assert itself as a more credible security and defence actor”, according to a report by EU officials and MEPs.
Original plans for the expeditionary force were drawn up after the flawed withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, when EU leaders said the bloc needed the ability to operate independently of the US and Nato.
The joint military force could be deployable without the unanimous support of the EU’s 27 member states in order to prevent it becoming snarled up in political wrangling.
**Read more here:** https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/04/20/european-union-plans-rapid-reaction-force-5000-troops/
Is it 1999 again already?
5,000 men is a pretty poor show. In 1999 the UK alone were ready to pledge a pool of 20,000 with a commitment to have 12,000 in a state of readiness at any given time. Why the reduction in ambition? It seems like the opposite of what the current situation calls for. In 1999 we were still talking about the “peace dividend”.
EU Marines?
What are 5000 troops gonna defend lmao
>rapid reaction force of 5,000 troops
Ah yes… Legio Europa!
“Rapid reaction” and the EU is sort of a political oxymoron but would be happy to see this happen if true.
Now we just need to make it 100 times larger and it might actually be good!
Hot take as a non-EU Citizen but I think the EU needs to have it’s own standing army. Europe cannot defend itself if European defense remains divided.
What are the Eurocorps for then ?
If the situation arises, will it be rapidly deployed against Russia? Cause if the answer is different than ‘yes’ then it will be worse than useless.
5000 lol… make it atleast 20k to have any actual meaning.
5000 troops won’t do anything except maybe act as peacekeepers, atleast 20k must be created. This is a joke
I’m probably wrong, but I thought something like this already existed?
You people don’t understand that having 5k soldiers isn’t the point. Having a legislative framework to use it, deciding who commands it, how procurement is being handled etc. is the point.
Once you have the whole system in place and working, recruiting more people is trivial. Look at Frontex.
5k isn’t much though
So it begins, from the steppe of Ukraine, a new purpose, all hail the EU army 🇪🇺
And we need an EU nuclear weapon.
I want an european anti corruption force