After the fiasco in Afghanistan, the EU wants to create a super military force of 5,000 soldiers

The nations of the European Union have rallied around an initiative to create a military force of around 5,000 troops following the withdrawal from Afghanistan, but have yet to agree on many of its details .

Thusday, Defense ministers meeting in Slovenia have repeatedly called the evacuation from Afghanistan a “fiasco” and “debacle”, calling for the strengthening of the military capabilities of the European Union.according to officials familiar with the closed-door conversations. Slovenia currently holds the rotating presidency of the bloc.

The U.S.-led withdrawal from Afghanistan and its speed, along with the violence and chaos that hampered civilian evacuation efforts, rocked governments across the European Union as they increasingly seek more a means of reaffirming the strategic autonomy of the bloc, even militarily. This implies a balance with the commitment of European nations to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

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Ministers supported an effort to Josep Borrell, Head of Foreign Policy of the European Union, to create a “Initial Entry Force” with a contingent of around 5,000 men, which would aim for rapid and efficient deployment in crisis areas, officials said.

Commitment

“Afghanistan has shown that the shortcomings of our strategic autonomy come at a price”Borrell told reporters after the talks. “The only way forward is to combine our strengths and strengthen our capacity and our will to act,” which means “new tools like this entry force,” he said.

However, there are many obstacles that make it difficult for the plan to come to fruition. Ministers see Afghanistan as a wake-up call, but with the US withdrawal so recently on August 31, it is still too early for a practical response from the European Union, an official said.

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Although no one spoke out against the 5,000 figure, no there was a discussion about the composition of the force or who would decide how it would be used. Members of the bloc are considering changing the usual unanimous voting procedures to a majority vote for the deployment of force, officials added.

“We have the armies, all together we have the resources, the problem is having the coordination and the willingness to mobilize those resources,” Borrell said.

Defense ministers also discussed how to map relations with the new Taliban leadership. “We need to develop a conditional commitment to everything, including the delivery of humanitarian aid,” Borrell said.