Germany's defense minister has revealed a controversial European joint army is "already taking shape"- thanks to her French allies.

Germany and France are now the "driving forces" in European defense and they would stand together in the face of any land assault, said Ursula von der Leyen.

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The politician also hit back at those who criticize the European Union's PESCO defense scheme - where national military leaders pledge to co-operate with each other.

PESCO - which stands for Permanent Structured Cooperation - involves 25 armies working alongside each other.

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She insisted the countries had signed up "not because we’re following requirements from Brussels but voluntarily because the benefits are obvious and because it’s in Europe’s security interests".

She wrote in German newspaper Handelsblat : "We are making good progress. Despite Brexit, and the controversial debates us Europeans have among ourselves, Europe remains a unique creation, uniting half a billion citizens in the name of freedom and prosperity.

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This story originally appeared in The Sun. For more from The Sun, click here.