Europe’s mountain of onerous green rules is stopping nations from preparing for defending against a possible Russian invasion, the continent’s defence ministers have warned in a leaked letter. The Telegraph has the story.
In a leaked letter obtained by the Telegraph, the nations’ defence ministers argued that the rules had stopped the expansion of military bases and prevented fighter jet pilots from training.
In a letter to Andrius Kubilius, the Defence Commissioner, the ministers said it was clear that EU legislation must “not prevent member states’ armed forces from carrying out necessary activities to become operationally ready. But right now, it does”.
They said this was “mainly (but not exclusively) in the areas of procurement legislation, nature conservation and environmental protection, and more generally the administrative burden on defence organisations deriving from various EU legal acts”.
The letter was signed by the Dutch, Swedish, German, Belgian, Czech, Latvian, Lithuanian, Romanian, Finnish, Estonian and Danish governments.
In 2023, the European commission published its ‘Greening the Armies’ report, highlighting ways in which militaries present a challenge to tackling climate change.
It pushed for European armed forces to consider more virtual training exercises, rather than real-world sessions, in order to cut down on emissions.
EU sources said directives on habitats, the protection of wild birds and waste were also standing in the way of European preparations for combating any Russian invasion.
The waste directive, for example, means militaries have to hit certain quotas for waste disposal – something that could hinder their ability to exercise with live munitions.
“At the moment, some EU legislation forms a direct obstacle to the armed forces,” the letter said, adding: “Credible deterrence in practice means growing the armed forces, which requires space for training, including flying, navigating and driving and building appropriate amenities.”
The ministers called for every new piece of EU legislation to be screened for its impact on the continent’s rearmament efforts before it is allowed to enter into force.
Worth reading in full.
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From what I read on X, many Ukrainians feel free to insult the US & Trump because they believe that the Europeans will step up and supply them with war making material and military support if the US chooses not to do so.
I think they will find that they are mistaken.
Meanwhile, Starmer’s SDR passes like yesterday’s weather forecast.
Erm. What about the existing legislation which has already inhibited the continent’s rearmament efforts?
Just exempt defence activities.
Dont allow the EU any authority over defence security or intelligence. You know they will screw up.
I guess you are referring to the Common security and defence policy?
Nothing the EU does involves security or defence unless it is creating a boondoggle for the Commission to spend money on uselessly.
Military competence comes from hard-bitten people who have the ability and experience to make the right decisions. Sometimes it’s enough to sit there armed to the teeth, sometimes you have to fight.
Off-T
Zua Yusuf resigns.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq54p9epdg6o
Oh, good!!
How about lack of money and political will combined with politically mandated deindustrialisation preventing rearmament.
The idea that military-grade steel must be imported from India or Chinas “because of Carbon emissions !!1” is obviously not really compatible with actually fighting any war and not even with realistically preparing for one.
Russia is no threat to anyone who doesn’t threaten them.
No realistic threat. But that’s not for want of good intentions. There’s, for instance, a Russian narrative which runs rougly like this: Germany eastwards of the Elbe is Russia’s legitimate spoils of war from the second world war and ought to be restored to it and there’s an active Russian propaganda campaign to this intended effect, which has even managed to plant an echo in Eugyppius articles in form of the claim that the AfD would be quintessentially an east German party and shunned by the west German parties because of it despite the AfD is really the first influential political party founded in unified Germany while all others are amalgations of former east and west German parties and the real east German party, the KPD/ SED/ PDS/ Die Linke is adamantly oposed to it.
And that’s just recent events. Breslau, Stettin, Danzig, Königsberg, Allenstein, Tilsit and Trakehnen are not forgotten, much as the gang of clowns outacting their desire to lord over something, be it a backyard dung heap, in Germany ATM insist that this is certainly the case.
we are more likely to be invaded by aliens than Russia.
Ukraine is the deep state’s Suez. It’s all tumbling down. As Buddy says in Elf: “You sit on a throne of lies”. The real problem is our Bildeberg/Council on Foreign Relations led Western politicians, media and security services are on the thrown, and the only ways off now are accept what Russia says, or keep escalating to oblivion.
Those Russian bombers were vulnerable to sabotage and drones because of the nuclear pact whereby the Yanks and Russia agree to keep them visible. Taking advantage of that was e f f n insanity and put us all at risk.. as unremarked on by our disgusting media.
“… we are more likely to be invaded by aliens…”
Under current circumstances it would be a rescue mission.
Everyone seems very keen to start a war with Russia. Are the banks and armament factories short of cash? After all it’s been ages since we’ve had a really good crisis – not.
An Everwar to satisfy the Military Industrial Complex and money-lenders on the steps of the Temple of Greed, needs an Everenemy.
That’s Russia.
“… defending against a possible Russian invasion,”
In what fantasy land do these nitwits live?
PS I wish they would invade the UK we might just then get compitent government and rid of the Wokeratti, immigrants and welfare parasites.
I’m sure I don’t need to point out to readers that Russia does not pose any territorial threat to Europe – quite the reverse. The Telegraph is, sadly, not worth reading, as it is a blatant propaganda tool. I’ve lost count of the number of times its pet military guest writers (Richard Kemp et al) have announced that the ‘Russians are finished’, all washed up, and that Putin is ‘done for’. Again, the reverse is patently true. Putin is the most admired leader in the world today, if we can move beyond the decades of brainwashing and the new Iron Curtain that globalist ‘leaders’ like Blackrock Merz and Two-tier-Keir and MiniNapoleon Macron are trying to erect. Unlike Russia, the Europeans are thirsting for war and pursuing it insanely, against all sound advice. Why? Well, for many many reasons, but including inventing an enemy in order to maintain a 100% grip on the sheeple, in the face of a growing political threats from the likes of Reform and the AfD (soon to be banned?).
Alexander Mercouris provides highly researched and informative daily briefings on various platforms. He can be ‘speeded up’ on You Tube, of course. For a lighter touch, try The Duran. I notice that the DS carefully skirts around Ukraine these days, but really, true scepticism should involve the views of Professor Jeffrey Sachs, or John Meersheimer or Glenn Diesen or Col Wilkerson (former Chief of Staff to Colin Powell).. or Ian Proud (former diplomat in Moscow) or publications like Responsible Statecraft?
I hope Readers will take action to fill this void. and I hope the DS will remedy its loss of direction (though I doubt it, with Ian Rons being a co-founder). And there, I touch the raw nerve……