EU pushes for more autonomy amid Afghanistan fallout

By SAMUEL PETREQUIN
Associated Press

BRDO CASTLE, Slovenia (AP) — European Union ministers discussed Thursday their options to beef up the 27-nation bloc’s strategic autonomy and improve its capacity to respond to future crises. EU defense and foreign affairs ministers met in Slovenia to talk about lessons learned from their rushed departure from Afghanistan. That crisis laid bare the bloc’s dependency on the U.S. Ministers discussed plans for the so-called strategic compass. It’s a document aiming at harmonizing crisis management and defining defense ambitions for the bloc. The paper is expected to be drafted before the end of the year. They also looked at ways to develop a rapid response force capable of operating in difficult military theaters.