European Commissioner Kubilius told Euronews he agrees with NATO's Rutte that the EU relies on the US nuclear protections. However, the EU's top defence and space official also said that the EU can and must work towards becoming independent in conventional defence.
Europeans cannot replace the US nuclear umbrella, at least for the time being, but when it comes to conventional defence the situation is different, European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius told Euronews on Wednesday.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Monday that the European Union should "keep on dreaming" of becoming independent from the US, its largest ally, in matters of security and defence.
Kubilius told Euronews that if Rutte’s comments refer to nuclear defence only and if Rutte meant that “the Europeans should stop dreaming about the possibility to defend themselves without American nuclear umbrella - I agree with him”.
“But Americans said in a very clear way that they are ready to keep this umbrella and we are happy with that,” Kubilius added.
According to Kubilius, when it comes to conventional defence, this is where Europe “needs to be ready to defend ourselves with much less of America”.
“It's the reality of today,” he said.
A practical example of this, as Kubilius explained, is to find a solution to replace up to 100,000 active-duty personnel that the US army currently has stationed throughout Europe who play “a very crucial role”.
Kubilius insisted that the EU needs to understand what exactly it would need to replace if the US decides to diminish its presence on the European continent. This includes “strategic enablers, material, things in space, on Earth, and so on,” he said.
“They're playing what experts are calling a backbone military force in Europe. The question is how we shall replace that capability.”
Another question that remains unanswered for the moment is when this would be possible and whether it would be sufficient to address a potential threat from Russia.
“I cannot tell you a very clear date”, Kubilius admitted while commenting on when the EU could be prepared to defend itself without the US.
“We need understand that Russia, which is the biggest threat for us in conventional terms for European security, is building a war economy”, he said.
“And if peace in Ukraine will come, they will not stop their war economy. They'll continue to produce as they are producing now.”
According to Commissioner Kubilius, if the EU doesn’t ramp up its preparedness, “then in few years time we can face really how we can withstand Russian military power.”