“The recent, dramatic events storming Ukraine, indeed on European soil, leaves us with no other option but to get fitted for managing even this type of crisis, while we endure our commitments in a full range of challenges to EU security in other parts of the world. The EU is working hard to keep up to its ambitions to confirm itself as a credible Security Provider and Partner. – said Gen Brieger - The ongoing discussions about launching a new mission, ambitious but really necessary, to train Ukrainian Armed Forces with most modern Western technologies, in coordination with all stakeholders starting from NATO, goes exactly in this direction”.

During bilateral discussions, the CEUMC noted the great support by Czech authorities on the key actions stemming from the Strategic Compass, the latest policy guide on developing a coherent EU Defence. Czech authorities concurred with the CEUMC on the need to support the momentum in which the EU is implementing the Strategic Compass. “The moment to implement ambitious EU defence projects is now – added Gen. Brieger – as what we seed today, will take time to harvest. We also have to become more operational. Together with all EU Member States, we have several key objectives we must achieve without delay, starting with the Rapid Deployment Capacity, to demonstrate the EU ability to intervene in near real-time, projecting security where needed.”

Other relevant topics of discussion were the urgency for more strategic unity, also with NATO, in particularly with regard to coordinated defence spending, and the need to keep a true 360-degree approach to crisis management, in reference also to the developments of the security situation in Mali and the Sahel region.

Gen. Brieger took the occasion to deeply thank, on behalf of the EU Military Committee and EU authorities, all the efforts and the commitments by Prague to the Common and Security Defence Policy missions and operations run by the EU, one of the most visible and tangible signs of EU engagement for peace and development, in our neighbourhood and beyond.