All this interest, occasionally denied, in a Euro Army (Euro Armed Forces) and other similar European defence organizations either in practice but with no announced formal identity or vice versa, has a ring of irony about it with consideration to NATO. The latter owes its formation to the immediate years following the end of the Second World War, initially called the West European Defence Union, with ourselves, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Netherlands as the original subscribers.
The whole idea was to prepare for any westward lurch by the USSR seeing as they were settled across the rest of Europe, right up to the new border between the American, British and French zones of occupation in Germany with the Red Army on their Eastern patch. Concerns about Joe Stalin's reactions after his nose was put out of joint at the Paris Conference to thrash out who would get what from the 'Marshal Plan' arose after Joe was told, directly, that free and democratic elections would be a pre-requisite among the beneficiaries. This wouldn't do as far as he was concerned.
Next, the Berlin Blockade tested everyone's resolve, which was predominantly confronted by the US, and I will say advisedly, ourselves. Before the blockade was lifted, the WEDU members lobbied the US to join a wider defence alliance, therefore the re-tread as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As NATO, the membership expanded to include Canada, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Italy, Portugal as well as the much sought after, by the euro states then, United States of America. Admittedly, America wasn't presided over at the time by a character like Donald Trump. I think the EU leaders today, particularly those with ambitions about shutting the US (so it might appear from time to time) out of their security affairs, and likely ourselves now, shouldn't place too much store by Trump's America, not under current circumstances.
Ok over extending ramble over.
FB