Europe must build up its own military capabilities as US influence on the continent diminishes in the coming years – Politico reports.
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the US military will increasingly focus on the Pacific in the next decade.
“Regardless of who becomes the next [U.S.] president… there will be a, hopefully only moderate, reduction in American involvement in Europe,” Pistorius said in an interview with Welt am Sonntag. “This means that we Europeans must increase our commitment to ensure security on our Continent.”Â
Europe’s industry will need some time to ramp up production capacity, so it needs to commit now to rearmament and seek military cooperation and assistance beyond its borders, according to Pistorius.
We now have about five to eight years in which we have to catch up – in the armed forces, in industry and in society.
The defence minister also stresses the urgent need to start cooperating with many countries for military cooperation, even countries that do not share European values, as they will bring both economic and political benefits.
