NATO is a priority for Europe again ...Ukraine silver lining.

[AnnieA]

I've been waiting for this past weekend's EU Summit to post this. Since the early aughts, some of the top EU powers have been talking of an EU Army with discussion ramped up over the past year. So far, I've not been able to find that an EU army was talked much at the summit, though immediately prior to the Ukraine invasion, it was being pushed by certain high visibility EU leaders of wealthier nations and it was to be a main topic at the summit.

Not only was the EU Army suddenly not a focus of the summit, but European countries have also scrambled post Ukraine invasion to bring their NATO support in line with 2% GDP agreed upon in 2014. Germany announced following the February invasion that they would meet NATO guidelines; despite Germany's wealth, they've been in the lower half of nations paying into NATO.

 

[Geezer Garage]

Fear is a pretty good motivator for getting the old wallet out.

 

[mellowyellow]

A Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft

BERLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - Germany will buy 35 U.S. F-35 fighter jets to replace its ageing Tornado, it said on Monday, announcing a first big defence deal since Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged a 100-billion-euro upgrade to the military in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

 

[jerry old]

A Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft

BERLIN, March 14 (Reuters) - Germany will buy 35 U.S. F-35 fighter jets to replace its ageing Tornado, it said on Monday, announcing a first big defence deal since Chancellor Olaf Scholz pledged a 100-billion-euro upgrade to the military in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Europe defense has been riding the American Dollar for seventy years; they will spend money for two-three years, then back to their slumber
about the Russian Bear.

 

[Murrmurr]

So, from this perspective, Russia has lost it's war against Ukraine no matter what the outcome is technically.

 

[Lavinia]

So, from this perspective, Russia has lost it's war against Ukraine no matter what the outcome is technically.

Yes, at least some good will have come out of this carnage. Europe has woken up to the fact that the 'Cold War' never really ended and Russia has always been a threat. It has also taught us (hopefully) that we need to be as self-sufficient as possible.

 

[Tish]

I don't think the angry bear will go to sleep in a hurry.

 

[AnnieA]

So... not only have some of the EU nations not been pulling their weight in NATO per the OP chart, they've also been selling weapons to Russia despite the 2014 Crimea embargo. The top two offenders just happen to be to have the top two EU GDPs yet haven't met their NATO spending requirements.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-n...d-bombs-aircraft-russia-2014-eu-arms-embargo/

Excerpt:

France continued to issue dozens of arms export licences to Russia after the EU imposed an embargo on weapons sales to Vladimir Putin’s regime in 2014, media reports claim.​

​

According to the investigative website Disclose, between 2015 and 2020 French companies exported military equipment to Russia worth €152m (£127m), with the government issuing companies more than 70 licences to export arms to Moscow.​

​

Another report by the independent group of journalists Investigate Europe revealed that 10 EU member states continued to export military equipment to Russia after the 2014 embargo, but that France was by far the biggest offender, accounting for 44 per cent of sales.​

Investigate Europe’s probe reveals that since 2015, France has authorised the export to Russia of bombs, rockets, torpedoes, missiles and explosive charges, as well as imaging equipment, navigation systems, aircraft and “lighter-than-air vehicles”.​

​

Disclose reported that France had exported thermal imaging cameras for 1,000 Russian tanks after the embargo.​

​

 

[Murrmurr]

So... not only have some of the EU nations not been pulling their weight in NATO per the OP chart, they've also been selling weapons to Russia despite the 2014 Crimea embargo. The top two offenders just happen to be to have the top two EU GDPs yet haven't met their NATO spending requirements.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-n...d-bombs-aircraft-russia-2014-eu-arms-embargo/

Excerpt:

France continued to issue dozens of arms export licences to Russia after the EU imposed an embargo on weapons sales to Vladimir Putin’s regime in 2014, media reports claim.​

​

According to the investigative website Disclose, between 2015 and 2020 French companies exported military equipment to Russia worth €152m (£127m), with the government issuing companies more than 70 licences to export arms to Moscow.​

​

Another report by the independent group of journalists Investigate Europe revealed that 10 EU member states continued to export military equipment to Russia after the 2014 embargo, but that France was by far the biggest offender, accounting for 44 per cent of sales.​

Investigate Europe’s probe reveals that since 2015, France has authorised the export to Russia of bombs, rockets, torpedoes, missiles and explosive charges, as well as imaging equipment, navigation systems, aircraft and “lighter-than-air vehicles”.​

​

Disclose reported that France had exported thermal imaging cameras for 1,000 Russian tanks after the embargo.​

View attachment 213799​

I'm wondering if, besides revenue, the intent was insurance against military aggression from Russia. Or did they feel completely safe about that?

Very interesting, Annie. (also infuriating)