Callas urges EU countries to strengthen escort forces

Reference News Network reported on October 1 According to the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung website on September 28, on the 28th, the sixth meeting of EU defense ministers this year was held in Brussels, covering several important topics, including responses to hybrid attacks and ensuring the safety of maritime routes off the coast of Yemen.

However, only 15 countries sent their defense ministers to Brussels, while the remaining countries were represented by secretaries of state or ambassadors. Therefore, the value of the relevant consultations is open to debate.

Clearly, no secretary of state or ambassador has the authority to commit to sending frigates on the spot to bolster the EU's "Shield" naval operation. The "Shield" operation aims to protect commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthi organization. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell had previously called on countries to strengthen military deployments.

According to reports, Borrell reiterated at the meeting on the 28th that the current demand is "more urgent than ever," especially for frigates, as commercial vessels needing escort have "lined up." When the "Shield" operation is launched in early 2024, the EU believes that "at least 10 ships" will be needed.

Borrell suggested that countries committing to provide ship guarantees for the safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz should first incorporate these ships into the "Shield" operation.

Currently, only two frigates are directly assigned to the "Shield" operation. Additionally, two French frigates originally planned for missions related to the Strait of Hormuz and three minehunters from Italy and Belgium have been "allocated" to this operation but remain under the command of their respective countries.

After the meeting, Borrell was unable to announce new commitments. However, she stated that two countries had "hinted" at possibly providing more ships.

Dutch Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren has publicly stated that she would "actively consider" this request. Belgium has also sent similar signals.

According to reports, representatives at the meeting also had preliminary discussions on a proposal to establish a new mechanism for member states to consult on responses to hybrid attacks. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed two weeks ago to develop an "emergency security agreement" for incidents that do not reach the threshold of armed attacks. Borrell indicated that "some" countries see such a mechanism as reasonable, but "many" countries insist that the mechanism must be "complementary" to NATO.

Before the meeting, countries had reached a final consensus on how to use the 6.6 billion euros from the European Peace Facility. According to the current plan, 4.7 billion euros will be returned to countries that previously provided military aid to Ukraine, with some of these countries announcing that they will use the funds for a new round of weapon assistance; another 1 billion euros will be used for joint procurement of equipment for Ukraine; and the remaining 900 million euros will be used to continue funding the EU Military Assistance Mission in Ukraine over the next two years, which has trained nearly 100,000 Ukrainian soldiers to date. (Translation/ Zhong Sirui)