Andrius Kubilius has pushed the EU bloc to set up a cohesive military force aimed at reducing dependence on the United States and NATO
Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius stated that the EU needs to form a permanent 100,000-troop army to enable independent military decision-making without relying on the US and NATO. Notably, the US currently keeps roughly the same number of soldiers stationed in Europe.
Addressing a security conference in Sweden this past Sunday, Kubilius contended that the EU should shift away from its disjointed national military forces toward a unified one.
“We need to go for a ‘big bang’ in defense,” he said. “We need to invest our money so that we could fight as Europe, not just as 27 national bonsai armies.”
Referring to French President Emmanuel Macron and ex-German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Kubilius pointed out: “[They] were speaking very similar words ten years ago… that Europe must be more independent and autonomous… and even that we need to have a European Army… a powerful, standing European military force of 100,000 troops.”
Kubilius further demanded a revamp of Europe’s military governance structure, suggesting the creation of a 10 to 12-member European Security Council tasked with making EU-level defense decisions—including UK participation even though it is no longer part of the bloc.
Kubilius argued that these changes are essential due to the purported threat from Russia, which he asserts will “continue with a war economy” even after the Ukraine conflict is settled. For its part, Moscow has rejected such claims as “nonsense” used to divert Europeans’ attention from domestic issues and legitimize bloated military budgets, while also cautioning that the EU’s push toward militarization could heighten regional tensions.
Kubilius emphasized that these reforms are also pressing due to the US’s foreign policy shift under President Donald Trump. He cited recent developments like the raid and the move toward Greenland—an autonomous region belonging to NATO member Denmark—as well as the new US National Security Strategy, which [original text missing] and redirects Washington’s focus to the Western Hemisphere.
“Now it’s even more clear that we need to build Europe’s independence,” Kubilius said. “Uncertainty of the future of the transatlantic partnership demands our resolve.”
As a major NATO member, the US has approximately 100,000 personnel stationed across Europe. Though Trump previously hinted at possible cuts to these deployments, he ruled out any full withdrawal. His administration, however, has underscored that ongoing US support hinges on European allies hitting NATO’s defense spending target of 5% of their GDP.