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Borrell calls for EU rapid-reaction force

EU governments need to move forward with European rapid-reaction forces to be better prepared for future crises, such as the one in Afghanistan.

Source: Tanjug Monday, August 30, 2021 | 12:09

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In an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that the accelerated deployment of U.S. troops in Afghanistan showed that the European Union needed to speed up efforts to build a common defense policy, Reuters writes.

"We have to learn lessons from this experience because we failed to send 6.000 troops around the airport in Kabul to secure the area, and the United States did," Borrell said.

Borrell added that the 27 EU members should have a "starting force" of 5.000 soldiers and that "they must be able to react quickly".