German DM: European army is "long-term goal"

German DM: European army is "long-term goal"

BERLIN -- The creation of a European army is our long-term goal, German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has said.

She mentioned the example of the German-Dutch military cooperation in a joint interview with her Dutch colleague Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert given to the daily Bild am Sonntag.

"A European army remains a long term goal, but this will most likely be seen by my children. Now it is above all about strengthening, step by step, the European defense union. America, too, wants us Europeans to become a powerful force within NATO. And to achieve this, individual nations must come up with concrete military cooperation, the Germans and the Dutch do that," Leyen was quoted as saying.

Hennis-Plasschaert at the same time "warned that threats and risks know no borders" and that there was "a lack of balance" in NATO.

"Americans assume the largest burden. If we want to again have balance, then European allies must cooperate more. It works best if we realize it in practice," said the Dutch minister, and added that "countries that hold the same position must be together."