Informal meeting of EU defense ministers to take place
European defense ministers will meet today and tomorrow in Kranj, Slovenia to discuss the Strategic Compass initiative.
The Strategic Compass concentrates on crisis management, partnerships, and capability development for civilian and military operations. Currently, the centralized framework for European Union civilian and military operations is very weak, as member states often work in smaller groups rather than as a whole on behalf of the EU when contributing troops and resources for joint operations that are often outside its borders. Down the line, this poses concerns for the EU’s defense strategies, especially as threats and balance of power evolve on the global stage. The Strategic Compass aims to address these issues and implement tangible actions moving forward that can be backed up by the European Union as a whole.
Expect the issue of Afghanistan to be emphasized, as with the evolving crisis in Afghanistan due to American withdrawal, the rapid flow of asylum seekers will test border security capabilities as well as humanitarian capacity of the EU. Furthermore, the outcome in Afghanistan will challenge the success of missions going forward. Given the different priorities of the various member states, it will be challenging for the defense ministers to reach a consensus on paper.
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