Ukraine's defeat will put EU values at risk, Michel says
www.euractiv.com
A defeat of Ukraine would put European values at risk, which is why there is no alternative but for Europe's support to continue, European Council President Charles Michel told a group of media, including Euractiv, in an interview.

Cross-posted from: https://feddit.de/post/9212243

With Russia’s war raging nearby and the threat that a second Trump administration could pull the US out of NATO, Europe has increased its military spending. At the same time, the EU’s defence programmes and funds have multiplied.

“Following the start of the war two years ago, we all understand that we need to build a stronger security architecture,” Michel said.

“It can only be reliable and possible if we have, on the one hand, much more coordination among the EU member states in terms of capabilities, but also a much more powerful industrial basis,” he said.

His words echoed French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for the EU in the long run to strive for ‘strategic sovereignty’ rather than relying specifically on the US through NATO.

“A few years ago, there were some doubts, and I remember that probably around the European Council table, many had in mind that NATO is the umbrella of security and Europe should be more focused on economic purposes – now we face a new paradigm, and I am pleased to observe that the mindset it is totally different,” Michel said.

  • taladar@feddit.deEnglish
    27·
    9 months ago

    I consider not wanting to be invaded by Russia a core European value too though I wouldn’t usually phrase it like that.

      • taladar@feddit.deEnglish
        10·
        9 months ago

        If they get away with it in Ukraine, absolutely. They might pick a slightly smaller target next time but there are plenty of those around.

      • jmcs@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
        7·
        9 months ago

        By doing maximalist territorial claims based on the historical boundaries of the Russian Empire, they directly threatened Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania just in the European Union. Even Hitler didn’t make such bold claims before WW2.

        • el_bhm@lemm.eeEnglish
          3·
          9 months ago

          They are already making grounds for propaganda reasoning.

          1. russians are oppressed in the Baltics. Which is doubly hilarious since some russians there did not claim any nationality. Neither russian nor Estonian.

          2. Poland caused WWII. Idiotic, sure.

          3. Medvedev has already been doing the work claiming imperial ambitions of Poland. Truth is, Poland sprung in the last 30 years. We are the threat to their slowly dying economy of fossil fuels. And that cannot be.

          • jmcs@discuss.tchncs.deEnglish
            3·
            9 months ago

            2 is actually required to be logically consistent with their psychopathic propaganda. Most of the Russian argument to invade Ukraine in diplomatic and legal channels is recycled from Hitler’s argument to invade Poland (they just replaced Danzig with Donbas).

      • el_bhm@lemm.eeEnglish
        6·
        9 months ago

        Have you ever seen any parts of history involving russia?

        They attacked every single neighbour they have. All the while playing the victim.