The agreement reached in Brussels this week to let European governments buy weapons together is a genuine achievement. It is worth pausing on how long it took.
For two decades, Europe's leaders have said that the continent must be able to defend itself. For two decades, they have bought their equipment in national lots, at national prices, with national delivery dates, from suppliers chosen for reasons that had more to do with jobs than with capability.
The result is a continent that spends more on defense than any country except the United States and China, and that could not sustain a high-intensity conflict for a month without American resupply.
Pooled purchasing will not fix that by itself. But it removes the excuse that Europe cannot act together because the rules do not allow it. From now on, the rules allow it. What remains is the will.
Henrik Vos is a contributing writer for The Continental Times Opinion section.