The EU’s New Red Sea Naval Mission: Implications and Challenges
The Washington InstituteFeb 15
German Soldiers to Join EU's Red Sea Mission
The Facts
Germany's federal government has agreed to send its troops to join the EU naval mission — dubbed Aspides — in the Red Sea, with a parliamentary vote confirming Berlin's involvement expected to pass on Feb. 23.
According to a chancellery spokesperson, up to 700 soldiers could join the operation to protect merchant vessels from Houthi attacks as part of a yet-to-be-approved mandate that expires on Feb. 28, 2025.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
With a consensual defensive mandate to bolster deterrence and protect commercial ships from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, Aspides is the latest in many EU actions aimed at protecting freedom of navigation worldwide. Berlin's move to approve the deployment of hundreds of troops for this mission further demonstrates Europe's willingness to help de-escalate regional tensions.
Establishment-critical narrative
A whole new response to the crisis in the Red Sea is hardly the definitive answer to defusing tensions, especially as the West seems still to be ignoring that the Israeli offensive on Gaza is the root of all this instability. If the EU hadn't undermined its credibility among those supporting Palestine in the first place, the bloc could now seek a diplomatic solution instead of risking further escalating the conflict with this military mission.
Nerd narrative
There's a 3% chance that the submarine cables running through the Red Sea will be damaged by a hostile actor before March 15, 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.