The crisis in Afghanistan leads the European Union (EU) to advocate the creation of a European army which allows the countries of the bloc not to depend on the United States.
In an interview with the American newspaper The New York Times, the head of EU diplomacy, Josep Borrell, confirmed on Wednesday that the crisis in Afghanistan showed dependence on the American European blockade, saying: “We went to Afghanistan collectively, but the decision to withdraw was fabricated in Washington. ”
“Our total dependence on Washington in the withdrawal process is a wake-up call for us,” Borrell added, warning that the events in Afghanistan “alert us to develop our ability to act strategically.”
The head of European foreign policy described the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban as “a blow to the West and something sad for the Afghans”.
He stressed that Europe will work over the next 10 years to define its strategic compass, through a plan that includes proposals to establish a rapid reaction military force.
This is not the first time that Borrell has advocated the creation of a European rapid army. In an interview published on Monday, the European headline told Italian newspaper Il Corriere della Sera that EU governments must strengthen a European rapid reaction force to better prepare for future crises such as Afghanistan. The head of European diplomacy calls for the creation of an “initial entry force” of 5,000 soldiers.
The idea of a clean European army to act in situations such as Afghanistan is reinforced after US President Joe Biden rejected European leaders’ request to extend the duration of evacuation operations in Afghanistan beyond the initially planned date of August 31, which highlights the weakness of European foreign policy and its dependence on Washington.
The Taliban’s return to power is a major failure for the mission of the United States and its allies, so much so that even Western authorities admit that the foreign military intervention in Afghanistan was in vain and a total fiasco.
The collapse of Afghanistan came shortly after the beginning of the final phase of the withdrawal of American forces, at the head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which invaded the country of Central Asia in 2001, under the pretext of fighting the Taliban and providing technical services. support for the Afghan army. However, in addition to not fulfilling its objective, the situation has worsened with the wave of displaced Afghans seeking to leave the national territory as necessary for fear of a new civil war.
Source: hispantv