The idea of an EU army was most recently raised by Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares ahead of a meeting in Brussels last week.
However, Admiral Cavo Dragone, who chairs NATO's Military Committee - which consists of the member countries' defense chiefs - is categorically opposed.
"We can't talk about an EU army. That's nonsense. Not even NATO has an army," the admiral says. "It's about a 'set' of national armies, which are then used to fulfill the alliance's tasks."
According to Cavo Dragone, the EU and NATO complement each other - but should not engage in the same things.
"We should stick to it to avoid duplication of work and waste of time and money," says the head of the military committee in Brussels.
