BRUSSELS, March 21. /TASS/. The European Council on Monday approved a European Union defense strategy called the Strategic Compass, which covers the time until 2030 and calls for EU rapid deployment forces of up to 5000 troops, according to a council statement.

This document will be up for a final endorsement at an EU meeting of the Heads of State or Government scheduled for March 24-25 in Brussels. The strategy had been in the works under the direction of the EU top diplomat, Josep Borrell, since 2020 and is unrelated to Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.

"The Compass gives the European Union an ambitious plan of action for strengthening the EU's security and defense policy by 2030," the Council’s statement said. "A stronger and more capable EU in security and defense will contribute positively to global and transatlantic security and is complementary to NATO, which remains the foundation of collective defense for its members."

Borrell said on Twitter that the Strategic Compass will let the EU to make a "quantum leap" forward in terms of its security, which is required by the "more hostile" security environment.

In addition to creating a rapid deployment force for various types of crises, the strategy stipulates conducting regular live exercises on land and at sea, enhancing military mobility, making full use of the European Peace Facility to support partners. Borrell is proposing that the EU meeting on March 24-25 make a decision to allocate 500 million euros from the European Peace Facility to buy more weapons for Ukraine.

The strategy also calls for boosting the EU’s intelligence analysis capacities, developing Hybrid Toolbox and Response Teams, further developing the toolbox for responding to cyberattacks, foreign information manipulation and interference.

Another goal is for EU member states to enhance their defense expenditures to jointly develop, produce and purchase new weapons.