BRUSSELS

An EU commissioner has called for the urgent establishment of a European Security Council to strengthen the bloc’s ability to take rapid decisions on defense and security.

Speaking at a conference in Sweden on Sunday, the European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said the new body should focus on the most critical security challenges facing Europe, beginning with the war in Ukraine.

Kubilius suggested the council could consist of permanent and rotating members, alongside the presidents of the European Commission and the European Council.

He added that the UK should also be included when broader European security issues are discussed.

The council would have around 10 to 12 members and be able to move beyond debate to quickly prepare key decisions.

He warned that Europe faces two major strategic challenges: the threat posed by Russia and the US shifting its focus towards the Indo-Pacific region.

Kubilius said Russia’s military spending, measured by purchasing power parity, now amounts to about 85% of the combined defense budgets of all EU member states.

He added there were no signs that Russian President Vladimir Putin was seeking peace.

The commissioner said Washington has made clear that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own conventional defense.

In response, the EU has launched a “Defense Readiness 2030” agenda aimed at boosting military capabilities.

Kubilius said Europe must be prepared to defend itself within NATO, even in a future where US military presence on the continent is reduced.

He concluded that Europe’s biggest weakness remains a lack of unity.