European countries will not form a unified army in response to the threat from Russia, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has stated. He made this comment in an interview broadcast on state television on Saturday night, according to British news agency Reuters.
When asked about the possibility of forming a European army, Sikorski told TVP World, “We should be cautious in using this term because people interpret it differently.”
He added, “If you mean the integration of national armies, that will not happen. However, I support the development of Europe’s and the European Union’s own defense capabilities.”
Earlier on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for the formation of a European army, saying that the continent can no longer rely on the United States for security and will not receive respect from Washington without a strong military force.
Sikorski stated that the EU is currently forming a strong brigade. “If the U.S. wants us to take more responsibility for defense, then we should have a national component, a NATO component, but I also believe there should be a European EU component. EU subsidies for the defense industry will increase our production capacity, and the EU force will also be worthy of its name.”
He also mentioned that deploying Polish troops in Ukraine is not under consideration, as Poland’s responsibility within NATO is to protect its own territory in the east.