PESCO: The making of a European Defence Union

Europeans, without the United Kingdom, have been moving toward a new ‘permanent’ form of military cooperation:

The making of a European Defence Union

12 December 2017

The decision to establish the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and plans presented by 25 European Union member states to work together on a first set of 17 collaborative defence projects has been welcomed by the European Commission.

“In June I said it was time to wake up the Sleeping Beauty of the Lisbon Treaty: permanent structured cooperation,” said European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker. “Six months later, it is happening.”

Juncker said Europe cannot and should not outsource our security and defence.

“The European Defence Fund that the European Commission proposed will complement these efforts and act as a further incentive for defence cooperation – including potential funding for some of the projects presented today,” he added.

According to a European Commission press release, PESCO is an instrument in the EU Treaty to enable willing member states to pursue greater cooperation in defence and security.

On November 13, there were 23 member states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden) that took a first step towards launching the Permanent Structured Cooperation on defence. Since then, Ireland and Portugal have also joined, bringing the total number of participating countries to 25. https://www.neweurope.eu/article/making-european-defence-union/

As long-term readers of this page are aware, I have written for years that Europe would end up with its own military.

Notice also the following:

Launching the Military Union

BERLIN/BRUSSELS(Own report) – The German government has announced that the EU Military Union will be officially launched …

According to the German ministry of defense, the military union is not only aimed at reaching more “independence” from the United States, but also at advancing EU “integration,” which is difficult to achieve with civilian means.

Mandatory Rearmament

The German government has announced for this Monday the final adoption of the EU’s military program, “PESCO” (Permanent Structured Cooperation). …

Of the 17 initial projects that will be adopted today, four will be led by Germany. The 25 participating states have agreed to “regularly increase defense budgets in real terms;” to “increase in defense investment expenditure to 20%” and “expenditure allocated to defense research and technology” to 2% of total defense spending. All participants must provide “substantial support” to EU military operations – with personnel, materiel, training, exercise support, infrastructure or otherwise.” …

Key Projects

The four PESCO projects under German direction include key elements of the EU’s militarization. …

Empire Unification through War

Last week, Germany’s Minister of Defense, Ursula von der Leyen again reiterated that the launching of the EU’s military union is to achieve strategic “independence” [13] – in relationship to the United States. The defense ministry also declared that this step has an “overriding added value … at the political level:” “The EU’s integration process is receiving a new boost with the EU’s defense union.”[14] 12/11/17 https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/news/detail/7477/

German Predominance

The German Ministry of Defense explicitly points out that PESCO “is similar to NATO’s Framework Nations Concept.” “It also involves projects that cannot be jointly implemented with all partner countries …

According to Germany’s Defense Ministry, the militarization of the EU is a “grassroots issue.” “European citizens” expect the EU to be more active in areas of “security and defense.”[10] With the militarization of the EU, Berlin and Brussels are merely fulfilling these expectations. 11/08/17 https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/news/detail/7443/

Notice that Germany’s Minister of Defense reiterated that the launching of the EU’s military union is to achieve strategic “independence” from the United States.

US President Donald Trump, as well as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, have called for Europe to spend more militarily–and Europe is doing this.

But the USA will NOT like what will arise in Europe.

Major changes are happening and most are NOT being covered much by the mainstream press.

As far as what is going on with PESCO, consider that the Bible teaches that Europe will have a great army:

25 “He shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the South with a great army. (Daniel 11:25)

The “He” is identified as the final prophesied European King of the North in Daniel 11:40 (watch also Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?).

Regular readers of this page realize that even after Germany’s defeat in WWII, Church of God ministers have written that Germany would dominate that coming military.

It will be a “The UNITED STATES OF EUROPE,” but that probably will never become its official name. … Once Europe is economically revived, and powerfully armed, a new Hitler will appear upon the scene … (Armstrong HW. Now It Can Be Told…The Plain Truth, December 1948, pp. 5-6).

“The king of the north” — all Bible scholars know that the ‘king of the north’ originally meant Syria in Old Testament times; but when Rome conquered Syria, the ‘king of the north’ became Rome; and when Rome fell, the German Nation and its allies wok over Rome and now have become the ‘king of the north’ (verses 36-39 — the German Nation, now working through the Nazi Underground, “shall…” notice it! “… shall enter into the countries …). Why? Because these nations shall finally be in league with Germany [the descendants of Assur or Assyria] according to Psalm 83! Germany’s coming Fuhrer … is “the king of the north.” (Hoeh H. U.S. and Britain Admit NAZI UNDERGROUND Behind Arab Crisis! Plain Truth, October 1958)

German leaders once again — just as in centuries past — openly are attempting to unite all Europe in a United States of Europe — and, through Europe, to reshape the world in order to fasten German leadership and culture on all nations and peoples. (Hoeh H. Germany in Prophecy! – Part 1. Plain Truth, December 1962)

For well over 20 years, Mr. Armstrong has made plain to our readers that the prophecies of the Bible foretell that Germany will rise again to become a mighty world power. And, if the English- speaking world does not repent, bring about our national destruction! In 1945, when Germany lay prostrate and statesmen boasted that Ger- many would not rise again for 50 years or more, Mr . Armstrong told listeners of The WORLD TOMORROW broadcast about Germany’s quick recovery and eventual development into a giant power. Since that time, many articles have appeared in Th e PLAIN TRUTH magazine warning our peoples of the rise of Germany and the ultimate formation of a United States of Europe. (Marx GO. Why Germans Long for a Leader. Plain Truth, September 1965, p. 30)

This is because of various biblical prophecies (e.g. Isaiah 10:5-12; see also Germany in Biblical and Catholic Prophecy).

Furthermore, there have been Catholic writings that have predicted that Europe would have a great army and a Germanic leader:

St. Francis of Paola (Born in Italy, 15th century). “By the grace of the Almighty, the Great Monarch will annihilate heretics and unbelievers. He will have a great army, and angels will fight at his side. He will be like the sun among the stars. His influence will spread over the whole earth. All in all, there will be on earth twelve Kings, one Emperor, one Pope and a few Princes. They will all lead holy lives.” (Dupont, p.38)

Venerable Bartholomew Holzhauser (died 1658):…”When everything has been ruined by war; when Catholics are hard pressed by traitorous co-religionists and heretics; when the Church and her servants are denied their rights, the monarchies have been abolished and their rulers murdered…then the hand of Almighty God will work a marvelous change, something apparently impossible according to human understanding. There will rise a valiant monarch anointed by God. He will be a Catholic, a descendant of Louis IX, (yet) a descendant of an ancient imperial German family, born in exile. (Connor, pp.35-36).

Bernhardt Rembordt (18th century). “Cologne will be the site of a terrible battle…The German Empire will choose a simple man as the Emperor, who will rule for a short time. His successor will be the man for whom the world has longed. He will be called a “Roman Emperor,” and he will give peace to the world. A good and happy era will follow. God will be praised on earth, and war will be no more.” (Dupont, pp.34-35)

Father Laurence Ricci, S.J. (died 1775): “After the rule of Napoleon a time will come when the people will become poor and the world will be punished in three ways: wars, famines, and pestilences. At a time when the whole world seems doomed, God will intervene. With His aide a valiant duke will arise from the ancient German house which was humiliated by the French monarch. This great ruler will restore stolen Church property. Protestantism will cease and the Turkish empire will end. This duke will be the most powerful monarch on earth. At a gathering of men noted for piety and wisdom he will, with the aid of the Pope, introduce new rules, and ban the spirit of confusion. Everywhere there will be one fold and one shepherd.” (Conner p.37)

Saint Cataldus of Tarentino (c. 500): “The Great Monarch will be in war till he is forty years of age….he will assemble great armies and expel tyrants from his empire. He will conquer England and other island empires” (Connor, Edward. Prophecy for Today. Imprimatur + A.J. Willinger, Bishop of Monterey-Fresno; Reprint: Tan Books and Publishers, Rockford (IL), 1984, p.30; also Culleton , p.118-119).

(Note: The nation was NOT called England in A.D. 500, but this is believed to be a reference to the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic peoples that a European leader is expected to conquer.)

So, the Bible says that Europe will have a great army, Catholic writings say a Germanic European leader will have great army, as well as great armies. Armies from multiple countries seem to be what PESCO is all about.

The Bible shows that the success of the European Beast, King of the North, power will cause the world to marvel:

3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” (Revelation 13:3-4)

Europe will arise militarily. And it is now starting to tell the world publicly that it intends to do so. The world will be surprised this will happen, which is part of why I have long written that European technology will be a key factor in this (as will be deception and problems in the USA).

The PESCO arrangement involves spending more money for European military technology research (see European Technology and the Beast of Revelation) .

Properly understood prophecies are coming to pass.

While Europe has been relying on the USA for defense, the time will come when Europe concludes it not only does not need the USA, but that it wants to take it over!

The Bible teaches that this will come to pass (Daniel 11:39; see also USA in Prophecy: The Strongest Fortresses).

The UK and USA, historically, have opposed the idea of a separate European army, but instead have attempted to get the continental Europeans to be more involved in the North American Treaty Organization (NATO). Having a separate European army means that Europe will be better able to act independently of NATO, but by keeping NATO, it gives the Europeans a unique tactical advantage over the USA and UK.

We are seeing Europe changing and working to build its military.

Understand that the current Anglo-American dominated world order will NOT continue (watch End of the Anglo-American Order and/or The New World Order Is Leaving the US Behind).

Some items of possibly related interest may include:

Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? Is an emerging European power “the daughter of Babylon”? What is ahead for Europe? Here is a link to a video titled: Can You Prove that the Beast to Come is European?
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Forbes’ Brexit Monster is the Beast of Revelation Various ones have been properly convinced that there is a plan for a European superstate. Forbes’ writer Tom Worstall wrote that the Brexit vote was about the United Kingdom “not joining the monster of the European Union to come.” The Bible tells of a Beast monster that will arise in the end times in Europe. Dr. Thiel cites news reports, as well as the Old and New Testaments, to show that the monster many fear will arise in Europe, despite the vote by the British to exit the European Union. This is a video.
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