Soviet policy, they charged, had failed to pay sufficient attention to these changes. They pointed in particular to the intensification of Europe military integration, which “had picked up speed since Reykjavik,” warning that “passivity” and attempts to ignore the creation of a European defense will inescapably lead to a situation where this defense will be fashioned according to American formulas, to the prejudice of the USSR. As a result, the Soviet Union would be forced to deal with a joint NATO position, in this case a United States position, just as it was increasingly forced to deal with a joint European position of the European Community (EC). These officials called for “new approaches” that would take due account of the European desire for greater independence in security matters.