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Spanish Prime Minister Supports Idea of Developing EU Army Proposed by Macron

© AP Photo / Alik KepliczGerman army tanks line up during the course of the NATO Noble Jump exercise on a training range near Swietoszow Zagan, Poland, June 2015. The German military has seen an increase in deployments for exercises in Eastern Europe and on Russia's borders since the start of the Ukrainian crisis in February 2014.
German army tanks line up during the course of the NATO Noble Jump exercise on a training range near Swietoszow Zagan, Poland, June 2015. The German military has seen an increase in deployments for exercises in Eastern Europe and on Russia's borders since the start of the Ukrainian crisis in February 2014. - Sputnik International
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BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez supported on Wednesday the idea of ​creating a European army, citing the need to ensure European security and sovereignty.

"To guarantee the safety of our citizens and strengthen our role in the world as a real global player, it is necessary to move decisively in the field of security and defence… We need to show determination and create a real European army," Sanchez said at a session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

READ MORE: European Army 'Already Taking Shape' — German Defence Minister

He recalled that the European Union had managed to initiate the Permanent Structured Cooperation programme in 2017 to enhance EU military and defence cooperation.

"We have laid the foundations for creating our own defence capabilities after decades of inaction", Sanchez said.

People wearing a Donald Trump mask, left, and an Emmanuel Macron mask act up for the cameras during an anti-Trump gathering in Republique square in Paris, Sunday Nov. 11, 2018 - Sputnik International
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Trump Challenges Macron: EU Army 'Didn't Work Too Well' in WWII
In November, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the European Union should have a "real European army", independent of the United States, to be able to defend itself. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has supported the idea while US President Donald Trump has criticised it.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini denied intentions to build an EU army, just as NATO head Jens Stoltenberg warned that EU efforts should not compete with the alliance, which he called the bedrock for European security.

READ MORE: Rebellion: Independence From NATO, US Driving EU Toward Own Army Creation — Prof

The conclusions by EU leaders at their December summit stated that the bloc's own defence initiatives strengthened the European Union’s strategic autonomy, but only when paired with NATO activities.

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