Europe urgently needs to unite and strengthen its own defense capabilities in the face of geopolitical tensions and other uncertainties, said a French expert in international relations on Tuesday.
As French President Emmanuel Macron assembles European and NATO military chiefs for talks about European troop deployment in Ukraine, Dominique Trinquand, former head of the French Military Delegation to the United Nations and NATO, sat down for an interview with China Central Television (CCTV), in which he said it is imperative that Europe build up self-defense capabilities for security guarantees.
Trinquand believes that since many European countries are attending Tuesday's talks in Paris, substantial diplomatic maneuvering and concrete efforts are needed to reach a consensus on the details of a potential European force in Ukraine.
He said that European countries have vulnerabilities in areas such as long-range artillery, long-range missiles, air defense capabilities, and electronic warfare, which urgently need to be addressed. He said Europe's military equipment autonomy is also a particularly challenging issue.
"In fact, France has emphasized the issue of self-defense for many years. Now, European countries are simultaneously facing the impact of the Ukraine crisis and the additional pressure of U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to halt U.S. military aid to Ukraine. This double whammy has forced European nations to reconsider how to strengthen their own defense capabilities. That is why European countries must now unite," said Trinquand.
Trinquand added that the buildup of European military capabilities should not be for the purpose of waging war, but rather to prevent it.
Europe urgently needs to enhance self-defense capabilities: French expert
Europe urgently needs to enhance self-defense capabilities: French expert
