EU Increases Financing of European Defence Agency to Over $33Mln

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) – The Council of the European Union decided on Wednesday to increase the budget of the European Defence Agency (EDA) from 30.5 million euro ($32.7 million) to 31 million euro, a source said.

“The decision to increase the agency’s budget to 31 million euro has been made,” the source told RIA Novosti.

The source noted that the decision was made following adoption of the plan on implementing the new strategy of European security and defense.

The plan adopted on Monday excluded a creation of the European army, according to EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini.

The discussions on Europe's defense have become more active following the victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election. During the presidential race, the politician had repeatedly stated that the United States should decrease the support of other NATO member states and protect only those members of the alliance, who "fulfill their obligations" in respect to Washington.

The plan to create the bloc’s army, which goes back to 1950, was revived in March 2015 by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who said the bloc needed its own unified army to respond to threats posed to EU member states. Major proponents of such EU-wide army are Germany, France and Italy.