An EU scheme to supply more ammunition to Ukraine is a move that is having the effect of the bloc “usurping military powers”, an MEP has warned.
Markus Buchheit, an elected representative to the European Parliament for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has warned that a draft bill aimed at increasing the amount of ammunition the EU is supplying Ukraine is really an attempt by Brussels to centralise more power for itself.
The transnational bloc has long wanted the ability to field its own army, with many senior officials within the union seeing Brexit as an opportunity to push for a “United States of Europe” style approach to the likes of both defence and policy making.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has only increased such opportunities for those in Brussels, with many Eurocrats remaining keen to support the Zelensky administration’s defensive war effort.
In service of such goals, the European Parliament opted to back the draft Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) bill, which reportedly aims to increase the amount of missiles and ammunition being sent to Ukraine, as well as help resupply depleted arsenals of EU member-states.
Though Buchheit welcomed an increase in military production, he expressed concern that the EU was once again wading into an issue that used to be solely at the discretion of individual nations.
“Brussels is usurping military powers with the draft law to increase ammunition production,” he told Breitbart Europe, adding that it was his party’s view that “defense policy must remain the exclusive responsibility of the nation states”.
‘EU Absolutely Wants Its Own Army,’ Says Farage https://t.co/kNX0OIRnAp
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) September 24, 2021
He also expressed concern, prevalent among some in Europe who fear a long war burning at their borders, at the impact providing Ukraine with even more ammunition would have on potential peace negotiations in the future, arguing that the continuous supply of munitions to the country could just end up elongating the conflict.
“It is important to do everything we can to prevent the EU Member States from being drawn into this armed conflict by the EU Commission’s overzealous and overreaching actions, thereby further endangering peace in Europe and making a diplomatic solution more difficult,” Buchheit continued.
“This is exactly what the EU envisaged for the export control of ammunition threatens,” he added, emphasising that while he supported the increase in ammo production “in principle”, such support was contingent on individual EU countries being left with the final say on its use.
Whether member-states will be left with such control or not remains to be seen, with Brussels coming to blows with more independent-minded nations in the bloc — such as Hungary — over the further implementation of anti-Russia sanctions, as well as the delivery of further aid to Ukraine.
Hungary Blocks EU Weapons Aid to ‘Hostile’ Ukraine After Leaks of Alleged Plan to Bomb Pipelinehttps://t.co/UGhvQ8THvx
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) May 21, 2023
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