EU Can’t Do Without Common Army in Long Term, Czech Premier Says
- Sobotka joins other EU officials supporting joint military
- Bloc-wide force may face threats including terrorism, Russia
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The European Union will need a common army to bolster its security over the long term after the U.K. follows through on its decision to exit the bloc, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said.
The 28-nation trading pact will need to muster a joint military to face intensifying threats including terrorism, a newly aggressive Russia and the unprecedented influx of refugees from the Middle East and beyond, Sobotka told a gathering of Czech diplomats in Prague Monday. A common EU army shouldn’t compete with NATO but should rather make the EU a “more actionable and reliable partner,” he said.