THE EUROPEAN – SECURITY AND DEFENCE UNION
A Force for the European Union and NATO
Interview with Lieutenant General Peter Devogelaere, Commander EUROCORPS, Strasbourg
The European: General, you have been the Commanding General of EUROCORPS for almost a year now. During that time, you have been living through the aftermath of the withdrawal of allied forces from Afghanistan, and since 24th February of this year, the security of Europe has been severely tested by the war between Russia and Ukraine. What is the impact on your multinational Headquarters? Peter Devogelaere: Since assuming command of EUROCORPS in September 2021, I haven’t been idle for a minute. The measures against the Covid-19 pandemic were still in place at the time. The unilateral withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, that also triggered the subsequent repatriation of allied troops and pre-vetted Afghan civilians, was the main topic of conversation. As if this were not enough the Russian aggression on Ukraine on 24th February has had an impact on the international rules-based order. Such use of force and coercion has no place in the 21st century. The European: What might be Putin’s target concerning Europe’s security? Peter Devogelaere: What President Putin is doing is a grave violation of international law. The target is not only Ukraine, but the security of Europe and the whole international rules-based order, based on the UN system and international law. His aggression is taking innocent lives, crushing people’s wish to live in peace. Civilian targets are being struck. During a visit to Warsaw, end of March, I had the opportunity to talk to Ukraine refugees, mostly women and children. I witnessed their hardships on the spot. Fortunately, the EU and NATO are united in offering strong support to Ukraine and its people.
34
photo: © Lionel THENADEY/Eurocorps
30 years of EUROCORPS
The European: And what is in the current situation the mission of EUROCORPS? Peter Devogelaere: As EUROCORPS is deployable to both the EU and NATO, it is closely monitoring the Russo-Ukraine war. On request, EUROCORPS supports other commands in contingency planning. Mean whilst, we capture and analyse lessons identified from the ongoing war. But EUROCORPS’ core mission is currently the European Union Training Mission in the Central African Republic (EUTM). EUROCORPS is providing a contingent of 40 military personnel that forms the nucleus of the staff at the EUTM Headquarters in Bangui. In parallel EUROCORPS is preparing for and adapting to its future role as NATO Joint Task Force Headquarters; to become standby during 2024. In 2025, EUROCORPS will take the lead of the European Battle Group, most probably in its new form and consisting of around 5000 soldiers in accordance with the EU Strategic Compass. Beyond 2025, EUROCORPS will adapt to a “Warfighting Corps”. The European: Warfighting Corps, does this mean “fighting power”? Can you comment on this synonym? Peter Devogelaere: Indeed, fighting power is the optimal development and combination of intellectual, physical and moral aspects of war. The intellectual component is all about knowledge and its application of warfare, tactics, logistics and command and control. It includes amongst others, organisational concepts, building a learning culture and adaptation. The physical component is a military organisations’ capabilities, such as equipment, infrastructure, weapons, ammunitions, sensors, communications, etc., and functional effects. The moral component is all about culture, values and legitimacy. It includes leadership, purpose and the will to fight of individuals and teams. The European: To avoid what the Russian army is currently living in Ukraine?
