Russia says ‘European Defense Union’ proposal signals militarization

Russia has issued another warning against a proposal made by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on “a true European Defense Union.”

The Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday it is a sign of militarization and confrontation.

Von der Leyen has made the pledge in line with her endeavor to win a second term as the president of the European Commission.

“It is time for Europe to build a true European Defense Union,” von der Leyen wrote on X ahead of the European Parliament vote on Thursday.

Von der Leyen was re-elected with 401 votes in favor and 284 against in the 720-seat European Parliament.

The former defense minister of Germany had pitched the need for a militarily “strong Europe” during a “period of deep anxiety and uncertainty” at the core of her re-election pledges.

In a document outlining her agenda, she said she hoped to launch a European Defense Union to deal with cross-border threats over the next five years, starting with a “European Air Shield and cyber defense.”

Von der Leyen said, “The union needs its own structure dedicated to the fight against manipulation of information and foreign interference.”

“We will ensure that these major projects are open to all and we will use all of the tools at our disposal – both regulatory and financial – to ensure they are designed, built and deployed on European soil as quickly as possible.” 

Amid economic slowdown, EU military spending hits record high of 240bn euros

The figure was disclosed in the latest European Defense Agency (EDA) report released on Thursday.

Von der Leyen also said she would strengthen the EU’s border agency Frontex.

The former German defense minister reiterated the EU’s support for Ukraine against Russia.

She criticized the recent visit to Moscow by Prime Minister Viktor Orban of the EU member Hungary.

In reaction to von der Leyen’s re-election, the Kremlin said the plan she outlined shows the EU's “changing priorities.”

Von der Leyen’s plan “confirms the general attitude of European states to militarization, escalation of tension, confrontation and reliance on confrontational methods in their foreign policy,” Peskov said.

“Everything is quite obvious here.”

“These are the realities in which we have to live, and this forces us to configure our foreign policy approaches accordingly,” Peskov said.

The Kremlin spokesman, however, stated that the Russian nation posed no threat to the EU.

He said Moscow is open to dialogue over Ukraine when the opposing side becomes ready to take “consideration of Russia’s concerns.”

Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, over the threat of the ex-Soviet republic joining NATO. The US-led Western camp has supplied Kiev with an unending amount of weapons and ammunition since.

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