Europe: France's Plans For a Military Intervention Initiative Outside the Confines of the EU

The members of the European Intervention Initiative (EI2), a French plan to increase military cooperation in Europe, held their first meeting in Paris on Nov. 7. The main goal of the EI2, which consists of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Finland, is to develop a shared strategic culture and improve the ability of its members to carry out missions together. It is part of France's push to enhance Europe's strategic autonomy at a time of growing competition between global powers like the United States, Russia and China. ...