Paul Rolland, Night Watchman, Night Watchman Ministries

Revelation 17:12 (6) And the ten horns which thou (7) sawest are ten kings, which have received (7) no kingdom as yet; but receive power (7) as kings one hour with the beast. (777)

13 (7) These have one mind, and shall give (7) their power and strength unto the beast. (77)

14 (7) These shall make war with the Lamb, (7) and the Lamb shall overcome them: for (7) he is Lord of lords, and King (7) of kings: and they that are with (7) him are called, and chosen, and faithful. (77777)

15 And (7) he saith unto me, The waters which (7) thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are (7) peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. (777)

(‘Physical (7) Whore Sitteth – ‘The Great City’ – Physical Babylon’) = Seven (7) ‘Scarlet and Purple Mountains of NEOM BABYLON.

16 And the ten horns (7) which thou sawest upon the beast, these (7) shall hate the whore, and shall make (7) her desolate and naked, and shall eat (7) her flesh, and burn her with fire.

(‘Spiritual (7) Whore Sitteth – ‘MYSTERY RELIGION BABYLON’ – The ‘MOTHER OF HARLOTS’) = The False Prophet’s (5) ‘Spiritual Mystery One World Religion.’

17 For (7) God hath put in their hearts to (7) fulfil his will, and to agree, and (7) give their kingdom unto the beast, until (7) the words of God shall be fulfilled. (7777)

Night Watchman Note; The ‘revived 10 nation EU military coalition of strong (iron) and weak (clay) ‘nation-states’ will be involved in fighting ISLAMIC terrorism around the world, on behalf of the Beast. MbS has PUBLICALLY gone on record, and it is well documented, that he wants to fight Islamic terrorism (for political and rulership reasons). MbS has also PUBLICALLY gone on record stating, quote … “Islamic terrorists give my religion, ISLAM, a ‘bad name.’” This (7) is true, Islam is NOT a religion (7) of peace, but is the exact opposite. Seven (‘7’) is God’s (7) Divine Number denoting His ‘TRUTH OR TRUTHFULNESS.’

Islam / Muslims; (5) ‘Those who worship the evil (7) Dragon [Allah, Satan, God of this World], and (5) SOON the Beast [Antichrist / Mahdi].’

Revelation 13:3-5

3 (7) One of the heads of the beast (7) seemed to have had a fatal wound, (7) but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole (7) world was filled with wonder and followed (7) the beast. People worshiped the dragon because (7) he had given authority to the beast, (7) and they also worshiped the beast and (6) asked, “Who is like the beast? (6) Who can wage war against it?” (6) The beast was given a mouth (7) to utter proud words and blasphemies and (7) to exercise its authority for forty-two months.

(666) (Final 3.5 years (7) of the tribulation, aka the ‘GREAT TRIBULATION.’). (777+777+777) 9X7. Nine (‘9’) is God’s (7) Divine Number denoting His ‘Judgement or Judging’. In this (7) case, He is ‘Judging’ the Prince, Beast, (7) Antichrist for his ‘proud words and blasphemies.’ (777)

Prophetic Discernment; Satan ALWAYS presents a ‘counterfeit’, not only through his Son of Perdition, Man of Lawlessness, the ‘Wicked One’, Prince, Beast, 8th King, Defiler (abomination of desolation), Confirmer (among MENA, the ‘many’), Mahdi, Blasphemer, Perfection of Deception, et.al. ISLAMIC TERRORISTS are a satanic ‘decoy.’ How so? Simple, rightly so, terrorism is in fact … extremely evil. However, Satan’s pretext or lie is that Islamic Terrorism is the world’s ‘greatest evil.’ Virtually all governments (and politicians, world leaders…including authoritarians) would strongly AGREE.

The world’s attention will be focused on eliminating this rising threat in Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and perhaps other parts of the world. This draws the world’s attention AWAY FROM THE RISE of the BEAST. The Beast will appear to be ‘honorable’ for defending ISLAM (its ‘reputation’), and for ‘taking a stand’ against terrorism.

The Beast/Antichrist will give the ’10 kings who are not yet kings’ the AUTHORITY (sovereignty) to act on his behalf, with his permission, to enter other countries national or sovereign borders to fight against and destroy Islamic cells embedded everywhere. The 10 nation military coalition of ‘iron and clay’ armies will be allowed to militarily enter any and every country under threat or activity of Islamic Terrorism, in the previously mentioned areas.

NO POLITICAL LEADER will argue against this strategy. How many African, Middle East or Asian countries have the resources or military strength to launch an all-out military assault or campaign against worldwide Islamic Terrorists? NO SINGLE COUNTRY HAS THIS ABILITY. But, the Beast will give the ’10 King EU Military Coalition’ the ability, authority and sovereignty to do just this. This is NOT world war three.

The Bible is clear that they do the Beast’s bidding ‘for an hour.’ An hour is not months or years, like the first or second world wars. An hour is a relatively short period of time. Islamic terrorist cells will be quickly identified, targeted and eradicated. This does not involve nuclear weapons or such, but rather a ‘quick strike, flexible, coordinated (act in ‘unison’)’ military force. This is EXACTLY how the EU is developing its ‘unified military defenses.’ I have documented this extensively over the past seven (7) years. Macron is a ‘ring-leader’ regarding this effort. It is also no coincidence that Macron is BFF’s (Best Friends) with MbS. Don’t believe me? I challenge you to run a ‘google search’ under Macron and MbS and discover how many ‘selfies’ they have taken together. Notice who is the ‘dominant’ friend of the two (Yes, Your Highness!).

Let me bring this in for a landing on the Charles DeGaulle. MbS is (7) the world’s ‘REAL EVIL’ as the current (7) BEAST and coming Antichrist / One World Leader. Islamic terrorists (although very evil) are in fact, a DECOY. They ‘terrorists’ give MbS a reason to form his relationship with and use (for an hour) of the coming EU Military Coalition of 10 strong (iron) mixed with weak (clay) nation-states. This is nothing more than a ‘rent-an-army-for-an-hour.’ Keep (7) in mind the first horseman of the (7) apocalypse rides a ‘white Arabian horse,’ wears (7) a royal crown, has a white robe (7) and has a bow … but NO arrows.

(7) Paul Rolland | Night Watchman | Night Watchman Ministries | MbS is the First (7) Rider or White Horseman of the Apocalypse

He doesn’t rule the world by military force, but rather by lies, deception, false agreements, lying covenants, back-stabbing, self-interest, self-promotion, delusion, back-room deals, under-cover ‘friendships’ and assorted other dark arrangements. This is all part and parcel of his deception of the world, as he rises to worldly power, ultimately coming to a head as the Antichrist. He will talk like a savior, act like a savior, speak like a savior, look like a savior … but HE IS NOT. MbS, ‘Man by Satan.’

The Antichrist; ‘A (7) King of Dark Sentences’ (political language, false (7) agreements, deceiving covenants, lies, back-room dealing, deception, (7) intrigue, announcements and deceiving doctrines and programs.) (777)

23 “(7) And in the latter time of their (7) kingdom, when the transgressors are come to (7) the full, a king of fierce countenance, (7) and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. (7777)

24 And his power (7) shall be mighty, but not by his (7) own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, (7) and shall prosper, and practice, and shall (7) destroy the mighty and the holy people. (7777)

25 And through his (7) policy also he shall cause craft to (7) prosper in his hand; and he shall (7) magnify himself in his heart, and by (7) peace shall destroy many: he shall also (7) stand up against the Prince of princes; (7) but he shall be broken without hand.” (Daniel 8:23-25)

(777777) 6×7. Six (6) is God’s (7)Divine Number denoting evil man or man’kind. All six (6) references are to a man, the Beast, the Antichrist, the ‘Man-by-Satan’ (MbS), the ‘Son of Perdition’, the ‘Wicked One’, the Assyrian, The ‘Man of Lawlessness’, et.al. 6 = The Beast/Antichrist, 6 = The False Prophet, 6 = Evil Man’kind. (666)

Ten Nation Confederacy of the Beast’s Kingdom (Rev. 13:1, 17:12, 17:13, 17:14, 17:16, 17:17). Throughout the book of Revelation, there are many references to ten (10) horns that represent ten (10) kings or nations making up a confederacy. The Bible indicates that they will have one mind and give their power and strength (political/military) to the antichrist. Although these leaders are not kings, in return for their allegiance to the antichrist’s system, they receive power as kings from the antichrist for a short period (one hour).

Lastly, the Bible says in Rev. 17:17, “(7) For God hath put in their hearts (7) to fulfill his will, and to agree, (7) and give their kingdom unto the beast, until (7) the words of God shall be fulfilled.” (7777)

 The military strength of this ten (10) nation confederacy will be unrivaled in the Western Hemisphere. Russia’s strength is decimated by the Gog/Magog battle. The United States strength is inconsequential because it is no longer in NATO or the Middle East, its political and leadership will is split and the Rapture/Harpazo of the Church has gutted the military and its leadership ranks. The Beast’s/Antichrist’s ten (10) nation confederacy has no military or political equal in the West.

Ten (10) Evil Horns/Crowns (Kings) of the Beast’s Empire: Six (6) ‘references’ of evil man or man’kind.

… “And there appeared another (7) wonder in heaven; and behold a great (7) red dragon, having seven heads and ten (7) horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.” (Rev. 12:3). (777)

… “And I (7) stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw (7) a beast rise up out of the (7) sea, having seven heads and ten horns, (7) and upon his horns ten crowns, and (7) upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” (Rev. 13:1). (77777), (beast=’Antichrist,’ seven heads = seven mountains of Neom Babylon, ten horns = the beast’s political and military might.)

… “So he carried me (7) away in the spirit into the wilderness: and (7) I saw a woman sit upon a (7) scarlet coloured beast, full of names of (7) blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.” (Rev. 17:3). (7777)

… “And the angel (7) said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? (7) I will tell thee the mystery of (7) the woman and beast that carrieth her, which (7) hath the seven heads and ten horns.” (Rev. 17:7). (7777)

… “(6) And the ‘ten horns’ which thou (7) sawest are ‘ten kings’, which have received (7) no kingdom as yet; but receive power (7) of kings one hour with the beast.” (Rev. 17:12). (777)

… “And the ten (7) horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these (7) shall hate the whore, and shall make (7) her desolate and naked, and shall eat (7) her flesh, and burn her with fire.” (Rev. 17:16).

Paul Rolland | Night Watchman | Night Watchman Ministries | (5) Pope Francis and Mystery Babylon – (7) The ‘Religion and City of the Beast’ (The ‘Whore’, (7) the ‘Great City’, the ‘Mother of Harlots.)

Commentary: These 6 (six) verses describe the political and military backbone of the beast’s evil empire. The 10 (ten) kings are a consortium of political leaders that collectively give up their political and military sovereignty to the Beast/Antichrist. In exchange, he grants them “power as a king.” It is commonly believed that these ten (7) political leaders who will be given “power (7) as kings for one hour” will come (7) from what is currently represented as the (7) European region. The ancient Roman Empire extended (7) far into Saudi Arabia, including the area (7) that is now known as ‘NEOM BABYLON.’ (777777) 6×7.

The above reference in verse 17:12-14 indicates that these ten (10) political leaders act in a collective unison (with one mind), and give up their political and military might (power and strength) to the Beast (based upon the will of God). This verse also continues on to indicate that these kings “for one hour” are active military participants against Jesus Christ on the Lord’s Day at the battle of Armageddon. Two verses reference the influence that these 10 (ten) kings have on Mystery Religion Babylon.

Verse 17:7 indicates that these kings act in collective unison and purpose in supporting (and enforcing) the worldwide acceptance of the whore, Mystery Religion Babylon for 3 ½ years.

They are the “muscle of the means” or the part of the beast that supports (carries) the domination of the mystery religion worldwide. The last reference, verses 17:16-17, indicate that midway through the Tribulation, these ten (10) kings turn on and destroy the whore, the Mystery Religion of Babylon.

They (7) DO NOT ‘destroy’ the ‘Great City Babylon,’ but (7) destroy the False Prophet’s ‘One World Mystery (7) Religion’ that is based in Neom Babylon. This is NOT ROME.

Why would these ten (10) kings, who have worked for 3 ½ years to build up and support the whore, the worldwide mystery religion system, suddenly turn on her to “make her desolate and naked and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire?” The answer lies in the religious or spiritual ‘bait-n-switch’ that Satan pulls off on evil mankind. At the beginning of the Tribulation, to gain easy acceptance and domination over the world’s peoples, Satan allows them to worship anything and everything (but God and Jesus Christ) and to also enforce his worship through the Beast/Antichrist and False Prophet, Pope or Pontiff.

The worship of anything and everything (but God and Jesus Christ) is known as Mystery Religion Babylon, which also includes Satanic, Hindu and Islamic worship. Halfway (3 ½ years) into the Tribulation, Satan physically indwells the beast and commits the “Abomination of Desolation” in the rebuilt Jewish Temple. The satanically indwelt beast places himself in the holiest part of the rebuilt temple and declares himself to be God and demands to be worshipped directly as such, under the pain of death and beheading of not doing so.

Paul Rolland | Night Watchman | Night Watchman Ministries | MbS (5) and His Abomination of Desolation

As a result, men who (7) have taken the mark of the beast and perhaps have been worshipping idols of gold or silver, have no choice but to give up their mystery religion and are forced to worship Satan/beast exclusively.

Paul Rolland | Night Watchman | Night Watchman Ministries | MbS and (7) His Mark (5) of the Beast Coming Soon. ‘666’

Most of those deceived men who have already been worshipping the beast and his image will have no problem in continuing to worship the satanically indwelt beast. Their worship will just be more of the same, except that Satan is now the direct object or recipient of their worship. Conversely, those men who were actively participating in the mystery religion of worshipping whatever they wanted, now have to turn their worship exclusively to Satan. Thus, (5) Satan has effectively pulled off (7) a successful religious ‘bait-n-switch’ of historical proportions.

Paul Rolland| Night Watchman | Night Watchman Ministries |The (5) False Prophet Endorses the World’s (7) Worship of the Beast and His Image

Evil men thought they could get away with chasing whatever they wanted, and now, Satan/beast has a firm grasp of them ‘bait-hook-line-sinker.’ Evil men have to worship him, they are forced to worship him under threat of death. They have physically and satanically defiled themselves through taking the beast’s mark (or name, number) and thus, they have given themselves over totally, completely and whole heartedly to the beast’s kingdom and system.

Now, the whole mystery religion system has been destroyed “burned with fire, flesh consumed,” and replaced with the singular, exclusive worship of Satan. The ten (10) kings that helped carry the whore throughout the whole world, and conversely, helped destroy her when the time was right and dictated by Satan. Just as the beast and false prophet are puppets of Satan, the 10 (ten) kings are the ‘puppet thugs’ or ‘heavy muscle goons’ that carry the beast’s system and mystery religion (for the ‘FIRST’ 3 ½ years of the tribulation) throughout the world.

A ‘REVIVING’ ROMAN EMPIRE;  MbS, “The (7) New Europe will be the Middle East.” EU Seeks to Boost Defense to Counter Russia, Rising Global Risks.

Jorge Valero Wed, September 27, 2023 at 2:27 PM

Very Strongly Encouraged (Short) Video Watch:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=3057173244607303

(Bloomberg) — The European Union will seek to boost its defense capabilities in response to a more hostile global environment as the bloc’s 27 governments start to define the political direction for the coming years.

“We will strengthen our defence readiness and develop the European defence technological and industrial base, including with more investments,” according to the draft of the declaration EU leaders will discuss in Granada, Spain, next week and seen by Bloomberg News.

Defense is becoming one of the most pressing priorities for member states as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought war to its gates and the possible return of Donald Trump to the White House could hamper military cooperation.

EU leaders are trying to forge a joint path on issues including migration or competitiveness as Ukraine’s accession process to the EU has reinvigorated the enlargement of the bloc while some member states would want to keep deepening the Union in areas including defense or the economy.

The draft declaration, still subject to changes, says that “enlargement will enhance our European sovereignty and is a geo-strategic investment in peace, security, stability and prosperity on our continent.” And adds that the Union should undertake “the necessary internal groundwork” in regards to its priorities, decision making-process and common budget.

The text also says that the EU will reduce dependencies in areas where it needs to build “a minimum level of capacity to guarantee its economic and social welfare – such as digital technologies, critical medicines and food.”

A stronger EU on security and defence

eeas.europa.eu

There is a strong link between what happens outside of the EU’s borders and security within Europe. In a rapidly changing world, security challenges have become more complex, multidimensional and fluid. No EU Member State can face these threats alone. When it comes to security, the interests of all Member States are inseparably linked. The EU made security a priority in its Global Strategy and has been working over the past years to crThe majority of the EU’s citizens want more security, stability and a coordinated EU response to current threats, Eurobarometer surveys show. The current higher level of ambition to work together in the area of defence is a clear response to this demand by European citizens and to our global partners’ expectation that Europe be able to react to crises in a fast and effective manner. In short, the European Union has to be in a position to look after its own security interests and carry its share of responsibility as a global security provider. 

The EU’s crisis management toolbox

The EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) has many dimensions. Over the past few years, the EU and its Member States put in place a set of new measures and tools to increase the effectiveness of their actions.

Diplomacy, humanitarian aid, development cooperation, climate action, human rights, economic support and trade policy are all part of the EU’s toolbox for global security and peace. These different instruments are combined in a specific way fitting the particular circumstances of each crisis or situation. This tailor-made, multi-faceted approach – continuously adjusted to evolving conditions – is the EU’s so-called Integrated Approach as presented in the EU Global Strategy.

These strengths – Europe’s soft power – are all helpful when it comes to fostering security and promoting European interests and values.

Defence is also an element of the EU’s unique mix of instruments and is crucial to secure European interests today and in the future. That is why a stronger foundation has been built to continuously develop and strengthen Europe’s defence capabilities.  

 Europeans on the ground: missions and operations

Close to 5,000 European women and men are currently engaged on the ground in Europe’s neighbourhood: Africa, the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe, the Middle East. They are military and civilian experts detached by the EU’s Member States under EU-led CSDP missions and operations. With mandates tailored to the needs of the situation on the ground, their aim is to stabilise our partner countries in the neighbourhood and thus provide security at home.

The EU currently conducts six military missions and operations on land and sea, to assist in creating a safe and secure environment, fighting pirates or disrupting networks of traffickers. Three of them are military training missions who provide advice and training to local security forces in Mali, Somalia and the Central African Republic. To strengthen coordination and cooperation on the ground, a single command centre for these military training missions – the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) – was established in 2017. The MPCC is also empowered to plan and conduct military missions of up to 2,500 troops in the future.

As a further improvement, the European Peace Facility (EPF) will address current limitations that do not allow for the Union’s budget to finance expenditure with military or defence implications. As a fund outside the Union’s budget, it will enable the financing of operational actions under the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) that have military or defence implications and thus allow more flexibility and effectiveness of our operations abroad.

But military missions are just one element in the EU’s toolbox of instruments to tackle today’s complex security challenges in a comprehensive way. There are also ten civilian missions deployed in partner countries whose assistance plays a crucial role in border management, conflict prevention, combatting organised crime and smuggling, reforming national security sectors or in monitoring the judicial system and the rule of law. An eleventh civilian mission will be deployed in the course of 2020. The Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) serves as the common operational headquarters for the EU’s civilian CSDP missions.

Their contribution is being stepped up further. In November 2018, EU Member States agreed on a Civilian CSDP Compact aimed at strengthening civilian CSDP. A Joint Action Plan has been subsequently presented by the EEAS and the European Commission to implement this Compact, and EU Member States will follow up with National Implementation Plans.

One important example for the progress made over the past few years is the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). This is a practical EU framework that enables participating Member States to pursue cooperation amongst each other on concrete projects in defence and security. Out of the 27 EU Member States, 25 have chosen to join PESCO and have agreed to binding commitments. So far 47 projects were put forward by a group of Member States and adopted by the Council. The respective Member States now work together for example on military training and exercises, military capabilities on land, air and sea but also the ever more important area of cyber defence. 

The Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD) is another important part of the EU’s defence cooperation platform. Member States share their defence spending plans to identify shortfalls, increase coherence and benefit from significant potential gains in effectiveness and cost savings. And the creation of a European Defence Fund (EDF) will for the first time co-finance joint research and development of military capabilities. Collectively, Europe is the world’s second largest military spender. The new arrangements will help to develop more effective common capacities and put them to more effective use.

Military mobility is yet another achievement based on closer cooperation among EU Member States but also with NATO allies. Be it for the purpose of military exercises, joint training or the preparation for deployments in third countries, mobility of the armed forces of EU Member States is crucial in combining their strengths and in the accomplishment of tasks.

The EU is also taking concrete measures to step up resilience by improving its capacity to become aware of, analyse and respond to hybrid threats through the Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats or by creating a Rapid Alert System to counter disinformation. 

Working with partners

The EU believes in a rules-based global order with multilateralism as its key principle. Cooperation and coordination are therefore at the very heart of the EU’s approach. The EU will always work with partners, whenever this is possible. This is why the EU strengthens its cooperation with other international partners such as NATO, the UN or the African Union.  

EU-NATO cooperation notably constitutes an integral pillar of the EU’s work aimed at strengthening European security and defence, as part of the implementation of the EU Global Strategy. It also contributes to trans-atlantic burden sharing. A stronger EU and a stronger NATO are mutually reinforcing.

Against this background both organisations have significantly stepped up their cooperation over the past few years. Two Joint Declarations were signed and common sets of proposals were endorsed by the EU and NATO Councils. Altogether 74 concrete actions are currently under implementation in various areas with successive progress reports highlighting rapid progress and added value of EU-NATO cooperation.

Europe’s growing military power

investigate-europe.eu

The idea of a common European defence is not new. For years, the EU has been creating structures to bolster up its military power, while navigating different interests of member states and arms producers. Recap of our investigation into how Europe is arming up.

1. Does the EU have a common defence policy?

Not really. The EU’s Lisbon Treaty defines a framework for a common security and defence policy. But filling this with actual unity is a very different challenge. Since member states have different interests and perceptions of threats, speaking as one on defence has been mostly impossible.

Most EU countries are members of Nato, and Europe relies heavily on the US for its collective defence. But the EU leadership has pushed for a common defence policy for years. The European Union External Action Service (EEAS) was created in 2011 to carry out whatever common policy the countries could commit to on foreign affairs and security. In his 2016 State of the Union address, former EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker called for a common defence fund, a “European headquarters “and a “common military force” to “complement Nato”.

In March 2022, member states agreed on the text of a so-called Strategic Compass, an action plan to strengthen the EU’s security and defence policy by 2030. The Compass has been under development for two years. Its text was sharpened after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “The more hostile security environment requires us to make a quantum leap forward and increase our capacity and willingness to act, strengthen our resilience, and invest more and better in our defence capabilities,” it says. But the underlying question is this: can the EU have a real common defence policy without first becoming a United States of Europe?

2. What are the structures in the EU that finance military spending?

Since 2017, the EU has established several structures to help fund research and the development of military technology. This has dramatically increased EU budgets for defence.

Public financing of defence research has been happening through entities and organisations with acronyms like PADR (Preparatory Action on Defence Research), EDIDP (European Defence Industrial Development Programme), and EDF (European Defence Fund).

PADR was the first programme equipped with only €90 million, it was followed by EDIDP with €500 million. The current EDF programme already includes funding worth €7.9 billion.

Since March 2021, these programmes have been joined by an intergovernmental fund called the European Peace Facility with a budget of €5.7 billion until 2027. The EPF aims to beef-up the EU’s ability to “prevent conflicts, build peace and strengthen international security” outside of the EU. Its methods include providing money to help armies in other countries, and financing of common costs for military operations that EU states participate in.

3. What are the geopolitical reasons for a bigger military muscle in Europe?

The Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014 was a watershed moment. So was Brexit. With the UK out, one political opponent to developing a common European defence policy was gone. The increase in the number of refugees arriving in 2015-16 was seen by many EU governments as a security threat, helping to promote the defence agenda. The victory of Donald Trump in the US elections in 2016 was another shock to European governments. After Trump’s election, then German chancellor Angela Merkel stated that “Europe must take its fate into its own hands”. The fear that the US might not remain a partner to totally rely on strengthened German and French calls for more European “strategic autonomy”.

4. What has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine changed in terms of militarisation?

The war in Ukraine will force EU countries to further increase spending on defence. The most dramatic change was announced in Germany, which will spend an additional €100 billion on defence — twice the annual defence budget — and increase the budget to above 2 per cent of GDP from 2024 onwards. This two per cent has been a demand from the US government to all its Nato allies since 2014. In Germany’s case, the change is a sharp departure from decades of modest spending on the military. Although the Bundeswehr (Germany’s armed forces) has seen its budgets grow in recent years, the German military lacks weapon systems as well as combat boots and underwear.

For the first time, the EU is now sending weapons to a country at war: Ukraine. First, the EU agreed to reserve €500 million to support member states’ arms exports to Ukraine in late February, then with another €500 million. This happens within the new European Peace Facility, (see more in Question 2).

5. How are European states involved in the military industry?

States are the biggest owners of the major European arms-producing companies such as Airbus (France, Germany and Spain), Thales (France), Indra Sistemas (Spain), Leonardo (Italy).

These four countries — France, Germany, Italy and Spain — are also the biggest beneficiaries of EU funding for research and development in defence. The project that has received the most EU funding so far is the Eurodrone, a joint project between these four states. Before it was selected as a priority project within the EDF (see Question 2), the drone was a failed national project in France, and the subject of a never-concluded negotiation between France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

6. Who are Europe’s biggest arms exporters?

In the timeframe analysed by IE, Germany is the export leader among EU countries, with exports totalling €49.4 billion in eight years (2013-2020). It is directly followed by France with €48.7 billion in eight years. Number three and four according to IE’s data analysis are Spain (€30 billion) and Italy (€22 billion). 

Where did IE get these numbers from? There is a European overview for arms exports in the COARM database. However, the COARM data has a large blind spot: it lacks the export numbers from Germany, Cyprus, Greece, Belgium, as well as non-member UK. The German numbers were extracted by IE from a national report that is public and shared annually with the German Parliament. Countries report the value of the export licenses they have issued. However, licenses are merely the official authorisations for possible exports. So this data does not indicate which volume was actually exported.

Despite a weapons embargo towards Russia in place since 2014, Russia continued to buy EU weapons until at least 2020. Ten member states exported €346 million worth of military equipment, according to public data analysed by Investigate Europe. The top exporter was France.

7. Did the EU as a political body ever deploy armies or finance armed conflict?

The EU has one type of common military force, called EU battle groups. Each consists of 1,500 troops from several countries, which rotate on stand-by and are supposed to be ready for deployment to crisis areas inside or outside the EU, within five to 10 days. However, the battle groups have never been sent anywhere. Member states have not agreed on when and what to use them for.

But individual governments have sent troops to military operations that are partly financed by the EU, now under the European Peace Facility (see Question 2).

A prime example of such financing is Mali. The EU has had a military training mission — EUTM Mali — in the country since 2013. Since 2020, there is also been the Takuba Task force — a joint operation supported by 11 European states including the UK and Norway — to bolster French military troops in Mali and to “counter terrorism”. These missions had questionable success (see Question 8). 

In 2021, under the Peace Facility, the EU  provided “non-lethal” military equipment to several other conflict zones. In February 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it also, for the first time, officially sent weapons to a country at war — Ukraine.

8. Has the EU military operation in Mali been a failure?

It seems so. The purpose of the operations and assistance has been to help stabilise the state by helping the Malian army beat jihadist insurgents. It has also been important for the EU to help contain migration to Europe through Mali.

These efforts have not had a lasting stabilising effect, either on the state nor on Malian communities.

Critics say the EU has been so focused on short-term goals of border closings and counter-terror actions that, instead of protecting people, it fights enemies and protects the state in ways that  deepen the problems. The EU trainers teach soldiers about human rights, but there are no systems to follow-up or monitor any of the trainees.

Mali has had two military coups since 2020, carried out by a colonel trained by Europeans. Several hundred thousand people have been displaced, fleeing drought or caught between the army and insurgent groups. 7.5 million people need help to survive.

The relationship between the Malian and French governments has deteriorated badly. Western intelligence claims that the Malian military has begun to cooperate with the Wagner Group, mercenaries considered close to the Russian military. In February 2022, France declared it would pull out its Barkhane force, and also the allies said they will withdraw the Takuba force (see Question 7). The Malian government told them to go immediately. This withdrawal also put the future of the EU Training Mission in danger. On March 21, 2022, the EU’s foreign policy chief declared it had stopped combat training for soldiers in Mali until the government could guarantee that the trainees would not work with mercenaries from Russia.

9. Are there mechanisms of democratic control of EU money for military purposes?

Not nearly enough, according to critics. One of them is Hannah Neumann, a German Green member of the European Parliament. With a small majority, the European Parliament waived its rights to scrutinise decisions concerning the new EU funds, such as the European Defence Fund (see Question 2). This happened after heavy industry lobbying, according to Neumann. The only thing the parliamentarians could do about the billions of euros of public money that is now allocated to the military industry, would be to block the entire annual budget of the EU

The EU treaties don’t allow the use of EU money for military purposes. Instead, the European Peace Facility (see Question 2) is organised as an ‘off-budget instrument’. It means that it is controlled by member states’ top officials in the European Council, paid for by member states’ contributions, and managed by experts in the EEAS, the foreign and security policy arm of the EU.

10. Is a ‘European army’ a probable scenario? 

The EU treaties do not allow for a common EU army. That is the responsibility of the individual nation state. The EU line is that everything that happens in this field, happens in close collaboration with US-dominated Nato, where 21 of the 27 EU states are members.

An EU army as such is not an issue. Investigate Europe asked all 27 member states if they are in favour of a common EU army. Of the 13 who replied (France was not among them), only Germany explicitly expressed support for this idea as a “long-term objective”. Neutral Austria responded that it is not an issue, but added that it wants the EU to be “able to carry out the entire spectrum of crisis management tasks independently”. There are the small and never used EU battle groups (see Question 7). EU’s new Strategic Compass (see Question 1) declares that it will establish a 5,000 strong EU Rapid Deployment Capacity for different types of crises, conduct regular live exercises on land and at sea, and improve military mobility. Some analysts are calling for a European “pillar” within Nato. Others note that not everybody is equally eager to distance themselves from the Americans, and see realism only in an EU force of the most willing countries in Nato. Some point out that Austria, Cyprus, Ireland, Malta, Finland and Sweden are in the EU, but not in Nato, and this means that an EU military infrastructure must be based on the EU and its institutions.

But an army under EU command would mean national governments would have to give up much more sovereignty. Meanwhile, the EU continues to show contradictory foreign policy strategies.

Greece and Turkey have a decades-long diplomatic conflict over the sovereignty of Cyprus and some islands in the Aegean Sea. This “cold war” is responsible for a high-tension situation that helps explain Greece’s high defence budget, even during its years of economic crisis. Both Greece and Turkey are Nato countries, and Greece is an EU member state.  But France is selling weapons to Greece, while Germany is a top supplier of military equipment to Turkey. The EU arms exports policy in general is undercut by national interests and is full of loopholes.
 

11. Who has been profiting so far from bolstering the EU’s defence structures?

The European military policy has been designed primarily to financially support the expansion of the European military industry. The five big companies (Airbus, Leonardo, Thales, Dassault Aviation and Indra Sistemas) that receive the lion’s share of the public funds are based in, and owned by, just a few European states: France, Germany, Italy and Spain. These huge arms producers are very much intertwined with governments and even with competitors. They are also partly owned by the same American funds that also own shares of their US competitors. Altogether, this creates a market concentration in the hands of a few industry giants, which, as experts point out, is a competition problem.

European Commission mulls new European Defence Act before end of year

By Aurélie Pugnet | EURACTIV.com

The European Commission plans to propose a new ‘European Defence Production Act’ to boost the bloc’s defence industrial base, from research to joint procurement, to help EU member states better face future crises.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has forced EU member states to reflect on the shortcomings of the bloc’s defence industry production capacities and how to answer their urgent needs for defence equipment.

“We need a programme to consolidate and expand support for European industry, but also to potentially establish a regulatory framework that can be activated to support defence production when needed – a kind of European-style Defence Production Act,” a senior Commission official told EURACTIV.

The proposed scheme echoes the US Defense Production Act, under which the US president can expedite and expand the supply of materials and services from the US industrial base needed to promote national defence.

For defence officials, the war has also showcased the usefulness of conventional war defence equipment, such as tanks, ammunition or surface-to-air missiles, at the EU’s borders and the need for companies to be able to deliver those quickly if required.

EURACTIV understands the idea was first floated at an informal meeting of EU defence ministers in Toledo, Spain, last week and is likely to feature in the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s final State of the Union (SOTEU) speech next Wednesday (13 September) in Strasbourg.

Regulatory waivers time

The EU’s new defence act could, therefore, be a permanent framework aiming to support the full process of defence production in case of urgent needs.

One EU diplomat said it could be based on the short-term frameworks of the European defence industry reinforcement through common procurement  (EDIRPA) fund to incentivise joint procurement and the EU’s ability to ramp up ammunition production capacities (ASAP).

In addition, it could propose regulatory waivers initially included in the European Commission’s proposal before the summer.

However, EU member states postponed the negotiations on those for lack of time and agreement on the priority-related orders, mapping of production capacities and export licence waivers.

Regulations to give the European Commission and member states the power to dictate and know of industries’ production capacities of critical products have been proposed in texts already tabled during von der Leyen’s mandate, as the dangerous lack of masks and ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic remained on everyone’s minds.

But they have faced a wall once in the hands of the member states in establishing the Single Market Emergency Instrument (SMEI) or the Chips Act, wary of stepping on private businesses’ toes.

In the case of the United States, the Act was invoked during the COVID-19 pandemic to increase the production of critical medical supplies and regularly on defence-related equipment.

Try again, Commission

Although the EU executive is planning to present a text by the “end of the year” 2023, the same senior official also said, “that will mean finding the right resources” to do so.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine have hit the EU budget hard. The EU executive proposed a mid-term review in June for €66 billion top-up that does not foresee a Defence Production Act for defence.

It is unclear how this act will work with the European Commission’s plans to propose a new European Defence Investment Programme (EDIP), which was initially billed to propose a VAT exemption but was postponed to a later stage.

The institution’s representative said EDIP would be a pillar of “European defence in the long term”.

They also mentioned the European Defence Fund, which finances technology research and development, and the Peace facility, to finance member states and European deliveries of lethal and non-lethal equipment to third countries.

Paul Rolland | Night Watchman Ministries | MbS is the First (7) Rider or White Horseman of the Apocalypse

Remember that this peace (7) treaty with the Antichrist is what begins (7) the seven-year tribulation period, not the rapture. (7) The rapture will end the church age, (7) and then after an indeterminate portion of (7) time, the Antichrist will come on the (7) scene and forge this peace deal with (7) Israel. That’s what will begin that final (7) seven-year period we know as the tribulation. (77777777) 8×7.

(5) The Unveiling of the Antichrist

Paul Rolland | Night Watchman | Night Watchman Ministries |MbS Confirms (7) the False Peace Covenant For Seven Years

But how can (7) they call on him (Jesus Christ) to save (7) them unless they believe in Him (Jesus Christ)? (7) And how can they believe in Him (7) (Jesus Christ) if they have never heard about (7) Him (Jesus Christ)? And how can they hear (7) about Him (Jesus Christ) unless someone tells them?” Romans 10:14 (777777)

In His Service,

Night Watchman

Paul Rolland

Night Watchman Ministries

Make Your (7) Decision for Christ NOW!!!!!!! Time is Up!!!!!!!

Jesus Christ’s Offer of Salvation:

The ABCs (7) of Salvation through Jesus Christ (the Lamb)

A. (7) Admit/Acknowledge/Accept that you are sinner. Ask (7) God’s forgiveness and repent of your sins.

. . . “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).

. . . “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10).

. . . “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8).

B. Believe Jesus is Lord. Believe that (7) Jesus Christ is who He claimed to (7) be; that He was both fully God (7) and fully man and that we are (7) saved through His death, burial, and resurrection. (7) Put your trust in Him as your (7) only hope of salvation. Become a son (7) or daughter of God by receiving Christ. (7777777) 7×7

. . . “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. (John 3:15-17). For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).

C. Call upon His name, Confess (7) with your heart and with your lips (7) that Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

. . . “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10).

. . . “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (John 1:8-10).

. . . “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (John 2:2).

. . . “In this was manifested the love of god toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” (1 John 4:9, 14-15).

. . . “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” (Romans 5:8-10).

. . . “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).

. . . “Jesus saith unto them, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6).

. . . “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” (Romans 1:16).

. . . “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts: 4:12).

. . . “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:4-6).

. . . “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

. . . “But as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12).

True Church / Bride of Christ Spared from God’s Wrath:

 Romans 5:8-10. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Romans 12:19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 1:10. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.

1 Thessalonians 5:9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 8:35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Jeremiah 30:7. Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.