Why upgrade? – “Be a credible counterweight against aggressors”

“Krone”: Mr. General, Europe upgrades. Many people are afraid of Armmen and swing each other. Is it really necessary to upgrade?
Robert Brieger: You can’t really talk about upgrade here, but about retrofiting. After the end of the Cold War in Europe, demilitarization prevailed, which means that locations were closed, armies were seriously reduced, the equipment reduced and not replaced and modernized. Now it is about guaranteeing a corresponding status that makes the necessary contradictory against potential aggressors credible.

Why do we need this contrablant, are we threatened and by whom?
Because the world is not a safe place and it cannot be excluded that the Member States of the European Union can also be affected by conventional attacks. Moreover, there are already measures for hybrid combat management under the threshold of the conventional war. Think of cyber attacks, destabilization, influence on the opinion and exploitation of migration movements. So there has already been a situation in which a certain pressure is exerted under the threshold of the conventional war against the Member States of the European Union and where we have to produce the corresponding resilience.

Does this apply to all states or is the pressure in the east stronger?
The perception of threats in the East in the immediate border situation compared to Russia is of course a more concrete, but there are hybrid measures throughout Europe and Portugal can influence Estonia. In the conventional situation, the proximity of Russia is of course a factor, but after the European Union is on its way to becoming a defense community, this challenge must also be prevented together and solidarity.

Have we also been struck as a neutral state?
That is a very good question. Ultimately, you must discover that safety and defense with today’s threat can only be guaranteed – and neutrality does not prevent us from offering us in solidarity. Austria is a member of NATO Peace Partnership and member of the European Union and this is associated with auxiliary obligations, and I think Austria is also called up and those responsible also assume that these obligations are met.

You said Europe is on its way to becoming a defense community. How does that comment do?
Well, this manifests itself through a whole series of measures, such as the closure of existing capacity differences and the increased financing of the European arms industry. There is a program president, which essentially contains a sum of 800 billion in different tranches that must be made available. This is about increasing the defense expenditure of the individual Member States. Exceptions to the stability pact can be exceeded by the relevant criteria.

But is that fast enough? Can’t you set up armored factory at night?
Of course, strengthening the defense industry in particular takes time, but in the end the necessary steps were started at the start of the war war against Ukraine, and it will now be trained by the train to process this program. It is planned that by the end of the decade, the most independent defense capacity of Europe is largely guaranteed.

What is the Sky Shield project about and is it compatible with neutrality?
Sky Shield is a German initiative that aims to build an improved European air defense system. If you want, the gaps must be closed in the previous protective shield and there must be a collaboration with purchasing, training and logistics. This means that Sky Shield offers the possibility to donate anti -aircraft systems in particular through medium -sized reach and therefore also to obtain cheaper circumstances. However, as sometimes claims, it is not a kind of hidden participation in NATO. In particular, it is about a steering weapon system from DieHL.

How far has Sky Shield improved?
Numerous European countries have expressed their intention to cooperate, and I assume that the necessary investments will then be financed and will be carried out. In the end, Sky Shield is a significant improvement for Europe because it ends the long existing defenselessness in the airspace.

The nuclear participation of Europe is currently being discussed, what is the state of affairs?
Nuclear participation is currently guaranteed by tactical nuclear weapons from the United States, which can be transported by German fighter aircraft, for example. French President Emmanuel Macron has discussed the possibility that France was willing to have a strategic dialogue about the role of French nuclear weapons in European safety. At the same time, however, he also made it clear that the last decision about an assignment will remain a national. My impression is that the nuclear component can only be guaranteed by the United States for a long time.

So don’t you think Germany could buy nuclear weapons?
That would be a sovereign decision in Germany, of course I can’t expect it. I think there are more important priorities to sit with the European forces afterwards. The most important thing is to guarantee conventional defense, and it is worked out with high pressure.

Do you think the US is leaving NATO?
The American expectations are that Europeans simply invest more in their own safety and defense. This means that a fairer tax distribution must be guaranteed, and this requirement of the Americans is not new. It is now more intense and if you like that, formulated more brutally. For example, Europe has already responded that the average of the Defense expenditure of the European Member States is already 1.9 percent, so relatively close to the old NATO goal, which should now go to 3.5 percent and then. This is a clear sign of consciousness in European societies that you cannot ultimately rely on the American protective shield in the future, but have to do more yourself.

Is Europe becoming more important in NATO?
This makes Europe considerably more important because more taxes are subsequently taken over by Europe. This means that Europe must mainly be defended by Europeans, although the American component will remain necessary for the near future. Nevertheless, the EU must adjust its existing structures to guarantee faster response and independence.

What role do the British play in terms of defense since leaving the EU?
Great -Britain has strong forces and also strives to resume and strengthen certain relationships with the European Union, also about safety and defense problems. Great -Britain plays a role in many areas, such as in the aggressive war of Russia, and there is also a collaboration with Western countries. More detailed military cooperation with Great Britain should, however, be designed accordingly. This means that corresponding agreements must then be concluded at the political level. I can’t anticipate this. The fact is of course that Great -Britain plays an important role in geopolitan and is committed to the collective defense of Europe as a NATO. If agreements on military cooperation between Great Britain and the EU must be concluded, this means that the common safety and defense policy reinforces.