To understand the situation of today it is helpful to understand the past; the European efforts to build up a common pan-European defence infrastructure has bee

To understand the situation of today it is helpful to understand the past; the European efforts to build up a common pan-European defence infrastructure has been traditionally continuously torpedoed by Great Britain and this has taken place over a long period of time. There are of course reasons for this, and obviously Great Britain is acting in their self-interest (they don't want a "shadow NATO" and they don't want to diminish in importance in USAs eyes, UKUSA/FVEY etc.), but Great Britain's interests are not really in the interests of Europe as a whole. Now that Brexit seems to be happening, one way or another, expect to see a lot of European Union movement in the defence area. Also, time will tell if the e.g. UK Joint Expeditionary Force will stay in existence and enhance the new pan-European defence mechanisms with, among other things, British nuclear weapons, or not. Furthermore, it is very naïve to assume that Europe is not already doing full-on preparations for the military implications of Brexit as well as the everso more likely dismantling of NATO. Mr. Trump has been signalling the latter for a long time, and even though much of his output seems to be a clumsy way to lure EU into doing more military business with the USA, the fact is that the White House and particularily the President of the USA is acting more and more erratic every day, so basically anything could happen (and probably will!). Having a strategical autonomy and owning a substantial defence ability and capability is an existential issue for Europe, given its geographical location, as well as the increasingly hostile political rhetoric and gray zone actions of its neighbours, as well as the continuously erratic behaviour of its number one ally.