European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker has called once again for the EU to build an army, saying a flock of hens posed more of a threat than its current military capabilities.

'I always call for a European army as a long-term project. It is not something you can build from scratch tomorrow morning,' Juncker told a Brussels forum.

Juncker has consistently backed the idea that the EU's 28 member nations should accept a military arm, a need highlighted by the Ukraine crisis.

Juncker told the forum that considering the current fragmented state of EU military readiness, it was perfectly 'right that central and eastern European countries put their trust primarily in NATO.' 'The 28 armies are just not up to it,' he added.