France's defense minister said Friday he is planning to create a European "intervention force" as of 2025, according to local media.
French President Emmanuel Macron in a speech on Thursday reiterated his suggestion to form such a force to boost the European sovereignty in defense.
"There are many crises in which the NATO is not appropriate and where France carries out operations alone, to give a precise example, evacuation of our citizens from countries in crisis," Minister Sebastien Lecornu told the broadcaster France 2.
The intervention force project would aim to secure all European citizens in a rapid way, he added.
Lecornu also said he already started discussing the plan with his European counterparts, to make it ready in 2025.
The minister also discussed European sovereignty and independence from the U.S.
"Many European capitals are buying weapons from Washington simply because they have this promise that Washington will come protect them, with an unsaid thing … with the American nuclear umbrella," Lecornu explained.
He added, however, that the nuclear model in Europe is completely "autonomous," and was not built against Washington but in autonomy regarding the U.S.
The French minister also added that his country wants to build battle tanks with its neighbor Germany by 2040, in the wake of a worldwide concurrence in "strong terrestrial" tanks.
The two countries are expected to sign an agreement on Friday about joint production of battle tanks.
