The Armed Forces of the European Union and the Conflict in Ukraine – Selected Aspects
Purpose: The purpose of this article is to present the international circumstances that led to the creation of the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) and the establishment of EU Battlegroups as part of the future EU Armed Forces, analyze threats to European security (including Russia's aggression against Ukraine) and their impact on the need to build a common European military capability, define the conditions that future EU Armed Forces must meet, and indicate the role of Battlegroups in the European security system. Design/Methodology/Approach: This article discusses the evolution of European security policy after the Cold War, a chronology of political decisions leading to the creation of EU military structures (from the Maastricht Treaty, through Amsterdam and Nice, to the concept of EU Battlegroups), an analysis of military, asymmetric, and hybrid threats, organizational, legal, and operational requirements for the EU Armed Forces, the role of Battlegroups as a rapid response tool, the potential role of the EU in ending the conflict in Ukraine. This article is a review and analysis, utilizing an analysis of EU strategic documents (European Security Strategy, Headline Goal, EU Military Rapid Response Concept), an analysis of international treaties (Maastricht, Amsterdam, Nice), a review of the literature on contemporary conflicts, military, and security, a comparative analysis of past and present assumptions regarding the construction of EU armed forces. The article is based on the method of political and strategic analysis, including the identification of threats, the assessment of military potential and the analysis of political and organizational assumptions. Findings: Key findings: threats to Europe have changed in nature – asymmetric and hybrid conflicts have replaced classic bloc confrontation, Russia's aggression against Ukraine has exposed significant gaps in European defense capabilities and accelerated the discussion about the EU's own armed forces, the EU Battlegroups are a key element of the planned structure of the EU Armed Forces – they are mobile, flexible, and prepared for a wide range of operations (from humanitarian to stabilization), the EU has a legal and organizational framework, but has still not implemented the full use of Battlegroups in operations, to achieve operational readiness, the Battlegroups must meet five key criteria: a common threat perception, a political mandate, legal arrangements (SOFA/ROE), technical and structural capabilities, and alternative operational plans, the EU can play a significant role in ending the war in Ukraine, particularly in terms of ceasefire supervision and peacekeeping missions. Practical Implications: The article leads to the following consequences for international practice: the need to increase defense spending and develop the arms industry in Europe, the need for better integration of command structures and common operational procedures, the need to strengthen EU cooperation with NATO and the UN, especially in the context of operational mandates, the EU Battlegroups may become the EU’s main tool in crisis operations – also outside Europe, the EU gains the ability to shape its own security policy, independent (though complementary) to the USA and NATO. Originality/Value: This article is distinguished by its comprehensive presentation of the evolution of European security policy, combining theoretical analysis (treaties, strategic concepts) with an assessment of contemporary conflicts (Ukraine), identifying detailed operational conditions for the functioning of EU Battlegroups, and attempting to define the role of the EU Armed Forces in the future international security order. Its scholarly value lies in its synthetic presentation of the processes leading to the development of European military potential, its in-depth analysis of the importance of EU Battlegroups in European security, its current contextualization of the issue in the context of the war in Ukraine, and its demonstration of the practical limitations and possibilities of EU defense policy. The article can serve as a resource for research on CSDP and EU security reform, for analyses of European strategic autonomy, and for decision-makers involved in EU operational planning and EU-NATO cooperation.