European Commissioner for Defense Calls for Unified EU Army Creation

European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius has called for the creation of a 100,000-strong European Union army for its own defense and to replace US troops in Europe if necessary.

This was reported by DW with reference to the European Commissioner’s speech at a security conference in Sweden on Sunday, January 11.

During his speech, Kubilius reminded that the United States has officially asked Europe to be ready to take responsibility for the conventional defense of the region.

“If the Americans leave Europe, how will we create a ‘European Pillar of NATO’? Who will be the European SACEUR (Supreme Allied Commander Europe – ed.)? What about the capabilities of the European command and control, the European staff? Most importantly, how will we replace the 100,000 US regular military forces that are the backbone of military power in Europe?” he asked.

In response to this, the European Commissioner proposed the creation of a 100,000-strong European army, as well as a European Security Council, which could consist of key permanent members and several rotating members.

“In total, there are about 10-12 members whose task is to discuss the most important defense issues, some of which I have just mentioned. And not only discussions, but also the rapid preparation of important decisions,” Kubilius said.

The idea of creating an EU army

The idea of creating an EU army is not new. In 2017, representatives of 23 of the 28 EU members signed a declaration on the establishment of the Permanent Structural Cooperation on Security and Defense (PESCO). In fact, it is a European defense union. Later, the rest of the EU members, except for Malta, joined the structure.

PESCO provides for:

• cooperation and harmonization of requirements and pooling of resources in areas related to defense equipment procurement, research, financing and use, in particular within the framework of programs and initiatives of the European Defense Agency (e.g., the Code of Conduct for Defense Procurement);
• Capability to provide, at the national level or as part of multinational force groups, dedicated combat units for planned missions, structured at the tactical level as a battlegroup, with support elements, including transportation (air and sea) and logistics, within 5-30 days, in particular in response to requests from the United Nations, and which can be sustained for an initial period of 30 days and extended to at least 120 days;
• be capable of performing within the specified timeframe the tasks of joint disarmament operations, humanitarian and rescue tasks, military advice and assistance tasks, conflict prevention and peacekeeping tasks, and combat force tasks in crisis management, including peace enforcement and post-conflict stabilization.

A year later, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that “Europeans cannot be protected without a real European army.”

Currently, the European Union is already forming certain supranational bodies and defense mechanisms: in 2022, amid Russian missile attacks, the EU began building a unified air and missile defense system. In recent years, the EU has financed joint defense procurement for the first time and conducted the first pan-European military exercises.

In March 2025, the European Commission defined the Union’s defense policy until 2030. In it, the EU recognized Russia as a fundamental threat and outlined a strategic development plan that will strengthen the defense capabilities of the EU and Ukraine for the next five years.

However, despite the existing public discussions, the creation of an EU army will require lengthy political consultations and unanimous approval from all member states.