EU and NATO strengthen cooperation against Moscow
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) pledge to strengthen their cooperation as the war launched by Russia in Ukraine threatens security in Europe, reports a joint declaration consulted Monday by Agence France-Presse.
“We recognize the value of a stronger and better performing European defense which positively contributes to global and transatlantic security and which is complementary and interoperable with NATO”insists the statement.
It is to be signed on Tuesday by Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, European Council President Charles Michel and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
The invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 prompted calls to better harness the combined influence of Europe’s economic power and US military might. “This is a key moment for Euro-Atlantic security and stability. He calls for closer cooperation between the EU and NATO”says the statement.
The two organizations are committed to bringing their partnership “on a higher level” and to mobilize “all the combined instruments at our disposal, whether political, economic or military, to pursue our common objectives in the interest of our billion citizens”.
Twenty-one of the twenty-seven Member States of the European Union are already part of NATO. Two others, Sweden and Finland, intend to join them, but Turkey and Hungary continue to oppose it.
The Alliance has carried out the biggest overhaul of its defenses since the end of the Cold War and Washington has sent more than 100,000 soldiers stationed in the countries of the Old Continent. The European Allies began spending more on their armies and equipping their continent with the strategic infrastructure needed to move forces quickly.