Hans van Baalen speech in plenary EP - Main contents
Annual report on the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy - Annual report on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy - Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) - opening a new chapter in European Security and Defence Policy (debate)
Hans van Baalen (ALDE ) - Mr President, I would like to say that our common foreign and security policy should be about hard power. It should be about defending our borders and providing peace and security.
Not only by peacekeeping, it should also be by peace enforcing, and the UK should be fully integrated in that. That is why European defence aspirations should be integrated in NATO. Of course, if it is not possible for NATO to act for whatever political reason, we should be able to act ourselves. That is also in the defence of our interests. But again, let’s try to get on one line with NATO, that is the best option.
If we look at security threats, I also understand that seen from Washington DC a threat from Russia is different than if you look from Tallinn, from Kyiv or from Georgia, or from Moldova - that is a different way, a different angle. If we look at the situation in the Middle East, of course this is a global concern which concerns the United States as well, but it is directly on our border, so we have a specific extra interest and therefore we should put our money where our mouth is. We should really invest and, again, those countries which would like to be members of the European Union should also adopt our views about security and defence.