EU defense structures should not compete with NATO, says alliance commander

Any defense structure developed by the EU should complement NATO rather than compete with the alliance, NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said Monday.

Addressing lawmakers at the European Parliament, Grynkewich said he had held talks with "a number of European leaders" about a European defense union.

"Whatever it is that the EU does with its member states and how it structures, should not be in competition with NATO," he said. "It needs to be complementary to what NATO brings to the fight."

Having two separate structures would be "extremely costly" and could stretch limited resources, he warned, pointing to NATO's existing command structure and expertise.

Grynkewich also stressed the importance of closer EU-NATO cooperation on defense industry and procurement, saying initiatives concerning where military equipment is produced are particularly important for American, Canadian, British, Norwegian and Turkish companies.

He cautioned against setting rigid preferences based on the origin of military hardware as NATO seeks to maintain its technological advantage.

"A focus on where something is made rather than how well it performs in combat, how well it performs on the battlefield, only benefits our adversaries," he said.

At the NATO summit defense industry forum in Ankara, hundreds of companies announced deals exceeding €50 billion (nearly $57 billion), including contracts involving strategic airlift and high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, according to Grynkewich.

He said NATO and the EU are "exponentially stronger" when working together, arguing that the EU's financial and regulatory tools and NATO's military requirements can complement each other.

"Therefore, we must choose pathways that deepen our cooperation, not constrain it," he said.