Cyprus praised for fighting to strengthen EU defence

EU drafts mutual defence 'playbook' as it prepares for smaller US roleThe European Union is working on a new strategic playbook to strengthen its mutual defence clause, its defence commissioner has said, warning that Europe must be prepared to replace military capabilities currently provided by the United States. Asked about Cyprus’ efforts to strengthen Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union, the bloc’s mutual assistance clause, the EU’s defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius praised the role played by the island during its presidency of the Council of the EU. “Cyprus did a very good job during its presidency in asking for development of much more operational language on Article 42.7,” he told the Cyprus Mail. The clause obliges EU member states to provide aid and assistance to another member state which becomes the victim of armed aggression. However, questions have long been raised about how it would function in practice, particularly for non-Nato member states such as Cyprus. Asked what progress was being made, Kubilius said Brussels was working on a more detailed framework which could eventually become part of a broader European security strategy. “I am looking for specific language, some strategic playbook on what mutual assistance possibilities we have at the moment, especially in crisis management,” he said. He added that the EU was also examining the possibility of introducing special arrangements which could be activated before a crisis escalates to the point where Article 42.7 would need to be formally invoked. “Even before member states can formally invoke Article 42.7, the situation usually becomes more tense,” he said. “We can have special arrangements on how member states are preparing to assist any member state which is facing more and more troubles.” According to Kubilius, such mechanisms could help deter escalation by demonstrating solidarity before a crisis reaches a critical point. Asked about concerns in Cyprus that the island’s security interests could be sidelined as Turkey becomes increasingly involved in discussions on European security, Kubilius reiterated support for diplomatic efforts in the Eastern Mediterranean. “Those are historically painful issues which need to be resolved through negotiations,” he said. Concerning the role that Cyprus could play in Europe’s evolving defence architecture and following the recent signing of the Security Action for Europe (Safe) agreement, Kubilius stressed Cyprus’ strategic location at the crossroads of multiple security challenges facing Europe. “We have what we can say 360 degrees of different challenges and threats,” he said. “On one side we have Russia, on another side we have the Middle East, we have Iran and all the instabilities which are very close to Cyprus and all the Mediterranean EU members.” Kubilius said the island’s location and security environment made maritime security and drone defence particularly important. “Maritime security really is one of the key priorities,” he said. “Drone defence initiatives are also very important.” He added that, as a non-Nato member, Cyprus had a particular interest in the development of European defence mechanisms and capabilities. On Ukraine, Kubilius insisted Europe remained committed to supporting Kyiv and argued that continued assistance was necessary if Russia was to be persuaded to end the war on acceptable terms. Asked whether Europe had done enough to help Ukraine, he said the EU and its member states had become the main source of support for Kyiv following the suspension of direct US military assistance. Kubilius argued that Ukraine had begun to gain momentum on the battlefield. “As we see, Ukraine starts to prevail, and that’s a very important change in general in how this war is going,” he said. “That is why we need to strengthen our support in order to convince Putin that it is time to end the war with a just peace.” He added that Ukraine would require an additional €20 billion in support before the end of the year. However, Kubilius warned that Europe still faced a major challenge in defence production. Asked whether Europe was moving quickly enough to keep pace with emerging threats, he said Russia continued to outproduce European manufacturers in key military sectors. “Russia is still outproducing us,” he said. “That difference is dangerous because it creates temptation for Putin to think that he can outproduce and outgun us.” On his use of a quote by US General John Pershing that “battles are won by infantry and wars are won by logistics” at the recent Eurosatory defence exhibition, Kubilius explained that Europe needed not only to increase spending but also fundamentally rethink how military equipment is produced. He said discussions with industry had highlighted a growing recognition that European defence companies needed to move away from what he described as “haute couture” production, highly sophisticated but expensive systems that are difficult to manufacture quickly and in large numbers. Instead, he pointed to lessons from Ukraine, where cheaper systems capable of being mass-produced had proved increasingly effective. “What Ukrainians are showing is that modern warfare demands much cheaper and much more massive products,” he said. To illustrate the challenge, Kubilius cited figures which he said showed Russia produced around 1,200 cruise missiles last year, while EU member states produced approximately 250. Ukraine, meanwhile, is expected to manufacture around 700 of its domestically produced Flamingo cruise missiles this year alone. Asked whether Europe could defend itself if future US administrations reduced their commitment to European security, Kubilius said Europeans needed to accept that Washington’s strategic priorities were changing. “It’s not that they stop loving Europe,” he said. Rather, he argued, the United States faced growing geopolitical challenges elsewhere and expected Europeans to assume greater responsibility for the continent’s conventional defence. “When Americans are saying that they ask us to take primary responsibility for conventional defence of Europe, we need to accept that,” he said. “We spent 30 years not investing into defence, having some kind of naive hope or dreams that Americans forever will take care about European defence spending their taxpayers’ money.” Those assumptions, he added, were no longer sustainable. Kubilius also expanded on previous remarks he made earlier in the year suggesting Europe should consider a standing force of around 100,000 troops. Asked whether this would amount to the creation of a European army, he rejected the idea, arguing instead that the discussion stemmed from concerns over the future of American military capabilities in Europe. He noted that the United States currently maintains around 80,000 troops in Europe and is reviewing its force posture, while some military assets are already being withdrawn. “The question then is, if they are removing those troops, how shall we replace them?” he said. He suggested that European governments would need to decide whether a collection of national forces could provide the same capabilities as a permanent multinational force. “Some experts are saying that if we go for a combination of 27 different national troops trying to build them as a rapid reaction force, it will not have such quality as Americans are able to provide with a standing force,” he said. “It is not about a European army. I am looking here at if Americans are withdrawing some capabilities, how are we going to replace them?” He said it would ultimately be up to member states to decide how those capabilities should be replaced. Despite the challenges facing Europe, Kubilius insisted the continent possessed the resources needed to adapt. “We are much richer than Russia,” he said. Asked how European leaders could justify increased defence spending at a time when many citizens are struggling with the cost of living, he invoked the Roman maxim: if you want peace, prepare for war. “If you are not preparing for war, if you are losing peace, that will cost you much more,” he said. “That is very simple arithmetic.”