Europe should not think about joint army, EU foreign policy chief warns

European Union (EU) Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas has warned that a Europe-wide joint would be “extremely dangerous” amid calls to build a 27-nation army to enhance the bloc’s strategic autonomy and deterrence capabilities.

Kallas advised those calling for a joint army to think twice before reiterating the proposal, saying, “When you are already part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), then you can’t create a separate army.”

Speaking at a security conference in Norway, the EU foreign policy head said having a parallel army with NATO would be extremely dangerous as the chain of command, who gives orders to whom, would not be clear.

She added, “It will make the ball fall between chairs. And this is extremely, extremely dangerous.”

Her remarks came after Spain urged the EU to form a joint army to strengthen the bloc’s defences amid the United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump’s threats to acquire Greenland.

For context, Greenland, the largest island in the world, is a semi-autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Denmark, a NATO member country, has warned any military action from the U.S. would effectively signal the end of NATO.

Previously, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that the EU was not capable of defending itself without the U.S. military power and nuclear umbrella.