Let’s start with the Franco-British Combined Joint Expeditionary Force and the Nordic Air Defense Force, says a Canadian scholar.

With the U.S. commitment to European security waning and the increasing threat from Russia, Europe must take responsibility for its own defense, which would both protect European territories and provide security guarantees to Ukraine, a Canadian scholar proposes.

In a new blueprint published by the Carnegie Endowment, Jean-François Bélanger, assistant professor of Military Operations at the Royal Danish Defense College, argues that it is high time for European nations to establish a nuclear-armed European Defense Force (EDF), shifting from their national armies to a continental army.

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The process can start by expanding the existing Franco-British Combined Joined Expeditionary Force (JEF) to include both countries from the European Union and allies outside this bloc, the expert says. Invitations should be also sent to Canada, Norway, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, while intelligence sharing collaboration should also cover Australia and New Zealand.

Despite aiming for autonomy, the force would need to rely on NATO infrastructure in the near term, leaving it susceptible to shifts in U.S. policy, but this expanded framework would bypass NATO's consensus-based decision-making, thus reducing the risk of political influence from Washington.

In the end, there will be a new political-military alliance, without the United States, if the plan goes through.

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reliability

The new structure would utilize the office of the NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), which will be led on a rotation basis by France, Germany and the U.K. – with Finland and Poland joining perhaps due to their significant military capabilities, the military expert noted.

Assisting Ukraine

From its onset, the EDF must be deeply involved in Ukraine. It could kick off a mission by sharing NATO capabilities for classified operational planning and logistics and deploying European soldiers in non-combat roles within Ukraine to alleviate pressure on the Ukrainian military.

Europe should also increase investment in Ukraine's defense industry, which currently produces about 40% of its battlefield needs and establish a fourth defense hub beyond France, Germany, and Poland to decentralize capabilities and innovation, Bélanger stated.

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He pointed to the Nordic Air Defense Force as a successful model that fosters seamless cooperation among participating nations – Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, and Sweden. The four Scandinavian countries – plus Iceland – form the Nordic Defense Cooperation or NORDEFCO, which could extend its airspace protection to the three Baltics – Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

Nuclear umbrella

The future EDF should explore nuclear-sharing arrangements between France, the U.K., and Germany to mitigate uncertainties regarding the U.S. nuclear umbrella as Europe has to prepare for the possibility of U.S. troop reductions and nuclear weapon withdrawals on the continent.

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Germany and Poland, on the other hand, recently hinted at plans to pursue the development of nuclear weapons, and so did Canadian politicians.

As Europe must transition from reactive to proactive security measures, developing a European Defense Force and investing in defense industries are essential to counter the Russian threat and prepare for potential U.S. disengagement, the blueprint reads.

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