Europe must prepare for ‘extreme military scenarios,’ says future EU defense commissioner

Europe must be ready for the most extreme military developments, including any potential armed aggression, said Andrius Kubilius, the nominee for the new position of EU Commissioner for Defense and Space and former Prime Minister of Lithuania, in an interview with state-run Ukrinform news agency.

“That demands from us to look very clearly into what kind of resources we have now in the European Union for defense of ourselves, and what we need to do very rapidly,” he said.

Kubilius noted that the EU must ensure it can defend itself with its “own hands,” but he stressed that this does not mean severing ties with the United States. 

He pointed out that not only Russia but also China is emerging as a significant military power and has been developing its military industry. Its Navy is already bigger than America’s naval fleet. 

“In the future, let’s say next decades, perhaps we can expect that Americans simply, because of Chinese development, will be forced to pay much more attention to deter Chinese aggressive plans,” he said.

Kubilius believes that Ukraine, as a future EU member, will bring valuable capabilities that Europe currently lacks. 

“Ukraine has the strongest military capabilities among European democracies,” he added.

For more details, read the full interview in Ukrainian at the following link.

On Sept. 17, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen introduced the new composition of the EU’s executive body, which will include pro-Ukrainian politicians in key positions. The European Commission will consist of 27 members, including six vice presidents and 20 commissioners.