Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has called for the European Union to create its own military.

‌"If we want to be peacekeepers in the world, we need a European military. And this is a fundamental precondition to having an effective European foreign policy," Tajani, who is also Italy's Deputy Prime Minister, told the Italian newspaper La Stampa.

‌"In a world with powerful players like the United States, China, India, Russia – with crises from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific – Italian, German, French or Slovenian citizens can only be protected by something that already exists, namely the European Union," said Tajani.

Although the EU exists, it does not have a standing army. The idea was first floated in 1950 but never really got past the planning stage, with NATO assuming many military responsibilities in Europe. 

However, since the start of Russia's attack on Ukraine almost two years ago, European leaders have been calling for the EU to beef up its military capabilities. 

‌Instead of building a centralized EU force, the European Commission has focused on "enhanced" defense cooperation, including joint procurement of weapons – but so far there has been little call for a unified force.

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Scathing response from Russia

‌In a post on the social media network X, previously known as Twitter, the Russian embassy in the UK quoted a response to Tajani's comments from Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for Russia's Foreign Ministry.

‌"An #EU military? Maybe, start with developing your own #COVID vaccine? Or figure out how to defend EU borders in a humane manner and in accordance with international commitments? Or solve migrant and refugee issues? Then you can build your own military," said Zakharova.

‌"And yes, I almost forgot: to build a joint military it would be wise to understand whose fuel it will be using," added Zakharova. "Or, the #US President just might come to #Brussels and say he's hiking fuel prices unless the EU military attacks whoever he tells them to."

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‌As the conflict in Ukraine has raged on, French President Emanuel Macron has championed the concept of "strategic autonomy," insisting the bloc cannot rely on the U.S. or NATO.

‌Finland, which borders Russia, became a member of NATO last year, reversing its long-held policy of neutrality.

‌Sweden has also applied to join the alliance and is expected to have its membership approved by July this year.

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