Speaking to reporters in Brussels before a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said national armies were unlikely to merge into a single force.
"Talking about a federal army is pointless because it’s unrealistic—national armies won’t merge," Sikorski said.
"However, we could create what I call a European legion, meaning, to begin with, a brigade-sized unit," he added.
He said such a force could be open to citizens of EU member states and possibly EU candidate countries, and financed from the EU budget.
Sikorski told reporters that a European legion would not be designed to deter Russia but could respond to lower-intensity crises.
"This wouldn’t be a force capable of deterring Putin’s Russia, but there are lower-level threats, such as those in North Africa or the Balkans, where we should have the ability to act together," he said.
He added that the worsening security environment around Europe has made the idea more urgent.
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Source: IAR, PAP