Germany's Merkel calls for a European Union military
German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses the European Parliament during a debate on the future of Europe, at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, November 13, 2018. REUTERS/Vincent Kessler
STRASBOURG (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Tuesday for an integrated European Union military, recalling the lessons of the First World War and the divisions that led to the conflict.
“We should work on a vision of one day establishing a real European army,” Merkel told the European Parliament during a keynote speech in which she consciously echoed a phrase used by French President Emmanuel Macron last week.
Macron’s call, which reflects a broad trend of EU thinking but is not universally accepted, irritated U.S. President Donald Trump.
Reporting by Richard Lough, editing by Alastair Macdonald
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