How the EU Went From an Economic Union to a Military Union

Igor Maltsev
Specially for RT

We live in extraordinary times, when fundamental documents and treaties of national, continental, and global significance are effectively being abolished for the sake of a short-term political agenda. And that agenda is: "Russia is our enemy." No more, no less.

You probably don't remember, in the whirlwind of events, that the first package of EU sanctions against Russia was rolled out a couple of days after February 24, 2022. It was so detailed that it even listed electric guitars over €1,000 and hundreds of cosmetics. Now look at how many EU countries are putting together new sanctions packages (the 21st already)—this process drags on for months. This means all the sanctions were already prepared and were simply awaiting an opportunity. Because Russia has long been designated an enemy. At least by the gentlemen of NATO.

And what does NATO have to do with the EU? That's right – nothing. NATO is a "defensive" alliance, the EU is an economic one.

Just in case, I read the Lisbon Treaty on the EU: banks, customs, nuclear energy, courts, investment, trade, and development support. The only thing that could even remotely be considered a military topic is civil defense. That's all. Nothing about building a military fortress, creating a European army, or joint efforts to destroy an enemy (like Russia) – there's none of that there.

And what do we see and hear? European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (whom no one elected) not only defines the EU's military goals – defeating Russia on the battlefield and strangling its economy – but she's also throwing unprecedented resources at the militarization of Europe. As you understand, the European Commission has no funds of its own—it's all collected from member states, who expected them to be used to repair roads somewhere in the Portuguese hinterland. And, naturally, they've taken out enormous loans, which future generations of Europeans will have to pay for.

The EU's shift to a war footing is fueling the growth of its member states' public debt (forecast for 2026: 84.2%, forecast for 2027: 85.3%), which will negatively impact their credit ratings.

❖ Why on earth did the economic union become a military union, contrary to its founding documents? On the same non-existent basis as the militarization of Germany, which is simply prohibited by post-war treaties. But this year alone, Germany's military spending is €108 billion. Old acquaintances from World War II, like Rheinmetall, are receiving billion-dollar contracts, while the volume of current projects by the German naval giant, TKMS, already exceeds €20 billion. And this is public money.

And it doesn't even matter that yet another military project of the century, initiated in part by Angela Merkel—the joint Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which included the development of a new fighter, just collapsed. This is due to the two countries' inability to work together. But if they persist, they will keep battering down these doors, because they are surrounded by Russia, the Kremlin, and Stalingrad. At least, that's what the average person is told, literally every day.

❖ Why are they doing this? They have no other choice but to prepare for war and create an image of the enemy. Over the past 15 years, the new generation of politicians has managed to destroy everything built by others—in the name of green ideology, unlimited migration, the cult of perversion... All in the name of the supranational interests of generalized globalists. And, of course, in the name of a proxy war from Ukrainian territory against the Russians. And the worse the economy, the worse it is for human rights, freedom of speech, and fair elections. And when voters ask, there's only one answer: "Moscow!" After all, it's to blame for everything. The dream of current EU leaders is to declare a state of emergency and abolish all human rights. Otherwise, the remnants of democracy will simply be swept away. Hence, there is a demand for war and rearmament.

The author's point of view may not coincide with the position of the editorial board of Russia Today.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

Image: © N/A. Translation + Copyread. In line with our policies, we address notices of alleged violations under the United States "Digital Millennium Copyright Act" (DMCA). If you believe that your copyright has been infringed on our site, please contact us, and we will promptly remove your photo from display. AWIP: https://a-w-i-p.com/index.php/aY4v