Recently, information emerged that European countries are increasingly discussing the possibility of forming alternative or parallel security formats - in particular, in the form of a so-called "coalition of the willing," which could operate even if the US role weakens, Politico reports, writes UNN.
Against this backdrop, Ukraine's position is becoming increasingly prominent - a state that has unique experience in modern warfare and is already effectively an integral part of European security.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasizes that Europe, as a separate continent, should have strong, unified armed forces, but this does not mean competition with the United States or the dismantling of NATO.
"Europe is simply a separate continent that should have its own strong army. This does not mean that NATO should be destroyed or that it is necessary. Not at all. We are talking, separately, about the Armed Forces of Europe. And this is not just about an army, which, in my opinion, should consist of at least three million people, but also about the exchange of technologies, which are very important."
According to the president, Ukraine is already sharing technologies and combat experience gained in confronting Russia with its partners, and this resource is critically important for all of Europe.
Stanislav Zhelikhovsky, a candidate of political sciences and international expert, notes that discussions about creating European armed forces have been ongoing for a long time, but it is now that they have entered an active phase. The expert emphasizes that the key factor is the Russian threat, which extends far beyond the war against Ukraine.
"It is clear that Russia has much broader geopolitical ambitions than just Ukraine. The Kremlin seeks to expand its expansion, including at the expense of countries that are members of the European Union,"
According to the expert, a new impetus to these discussions was given by Donald Trump's return to the White House and the exacerbation of transatlantic contradictions.
"These discussions have become particularly active now that Donald Trump has returned to the White House, who has very specific views on the North Atlantic Alliance and relations with Europe. It cannot be ruled out that these relations could seriously deteriorate, especially against the backdrop of the situation around the island of Greenland,"
According to Stanislav Zhelikhovsky, in the near future, EU countries will focus on building up their own armed forces and coordinating between them.
"Whether it will be possible to create a single military formation of EU member states in the near future is difficult to say at the moment. Most likely, the states of the European Union will focus on strengthening their own defense capabilities."
The expert emphasizes that Ukraine is already a key component of European security, even without formal EU membership.
"Rejecting Ukraine from cooperation formats or EU membership would be shooting Europe itself in the foot. It is impossible to talk about the effective defense capability of the European Union without the Ukrainian state,"
According to him, Ukraine's war experience, joint defense projects, and technologies are a unique asset.
"Ukraine cannot be an alternative to the United States, but it can become a breath of fresh air for European security, breathing new life into Europe's defense system,"
The expert also emphasizes that, despite initiatives to strengthen European security, maintaining strong relations with the United States remains critically important for both Europe and Ukraine. The United States is a key transatlantic partner with powerful armed forces and nuclear potential, and even with the development of European defense formats, cooperation with Washington cannot be curtailed.
Recently, UNN analyzed how European countries are preparing for possible military challenges. Continuing this topic, the international expert outlined the states that are already demonstrating the highest level of readiness - both in the narrow sense of Europe and in the broader security context.
"If we speak in a narrow sense, that is, about the European Union itself, then I would first of all highlight France, Germany is also strengthening, and Poland is also quite effectively reforming its armed forces. It is actually on the front line of the Western world, understanding the threat from Russia, and investing heavily in the military. If we speak in a broad sense of Europe, then Ukraine and Great Britain, which are not EU members, should definitely be mentioned here. Ukraine is obviously one of the top states militarily, and Great Britain is ready to play an important role in European security,"
According to the expert, if we talk about the states that can show themselves most strongly in the field of security, he includes Ukraine, Great Britain, Germany, France, and Poland in such a conditional top five. Separately, he noted that within the European Union and Europe as a whole, Scandinavian countries also have strong positions, which also possess powerful armed forces and can play an important role in regional security.
In conclusion, Stanislav Zhelikhovsky noted that strengthening European defense initiatives is also beneficial for Ukraine. According to him, Ukraine's involvement in such formats can become an additional argument in favor of its European integration, particularly in the context of EU membership, since the Ukrainian state already has unique combat experience that is important for the security of the entire European continent.