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Europe must urgently bolster its defense capabilities as Russia's war in Ukraine has plunged the continent into a "grey zone" between war and peace, the European Union's top military official warned Friday.
Gen. Sean Clancy, the Irish Air Corps officer who became chair of the E.U. Military Committee in June, said the bloc could no longer afford to assume stability on its eastern flank.
"The world is on fire in many places, and Ukraine represents the front line for Europe at this point in time," Clancy told The Irish Times in an interview published Friday.
Clancy stressed that rising defense budgets across Europe should not be interpreted as militarization or a step toward a unified E.U. army, but rather as long-overdue recognition of escalating threats.
“No member state is immune to it. I’m talking about hybrid threats here. I’m talking about terrorism. I’m talking about many areas such as cyber, space,” he said.
He warned that geography no longer shields Europe from “borderless” hybrid warfare, citing recent drone incursions at airports across the continent. Addressing these threats, he said, would require both stronger armed forces and wider societal engagement.
“Preparedness isn’t about preparing for war. It’s about readiness and resilience,” Clancy said.
Clancy rejected the notion that Europe had long been passive on defense issues. “I kind of reject that a little bit, if I can be straight up with you. You know, asking Europe to do more now...this is not something new. We have to be careful with language,” he said.
He noted that U.S. pressure on Europe to increase military spending predates Donald Trump, though the U.S. president "catalyzed" momentum behind the demand.
“That transatlantic relationship will remain important, but it’s evolving. The U.S. has been very clear in asking us to do more,” he said.
Clancy said E.U. institutions had become more central in coordinating Europe’s defense response, with security now “near the top of the political agenda” in Brussels.
“It is palpable, the sense of purpose, direction, and momentum. Everybody wants it to move faster,” he added.
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