Create an EU army to keep back the Russians, Jean-Claude Juncker suggests

08 Mar 2015 By Ben Riley-Smith, Political Correspondent - The Telegraph

European Commission president says pooling Europe's defence resources could help send a message to Vladimir Putin

A European Union army should be created to help defend the continent from Russian aggression, the European Commission president has suggested. Jean-Claude Juncker said pooling the defence resources of the 28 EU nations could help send a message to Vladimir Putin that its borders would be protected. However the move was panned by the UK Independence Party who warned the move would be a "tragedy for the UK". The comments came during an interview Mr Juncker gave with Welt am Sonntag, a German news magazine. "Such an army would help us to build a common foreign and national security policy, and to collectively take on Europe's responsibilities in the world,” Mr Junker said.

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