Just days ahead of the G7, EU and NATO summits, ECFR’s Council Members – Europe’s leading decision-makers, opinion-shapers, and public intellectuals – gathered on 19-20 June in Berlin for the ECFR Annual Council Meeting
Finland has redefined its security interest, leading it inexorably towards NATO membership. If Sweden joins too, a significant new regional grouping within the alliance could emerge
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has underlined the importance of European sovereignty. The EU should now invest boldly in its military capabilities, cyber-defences, energy independence, and economic resilience
The EU should not fall for Orban’s attempts to distance himself from Putin. The Hungarian leader may now present himself as a pillar of European unity but, fundamentally, he has not changed
When EU member states meet in Versailles on 10 March, they should offer Ukraine a strong welcome through a political declaration that recognises its European future
Zelensky and his people are fighting for their lives to defend European values. They have earned the prospect of EU membership once this brutal war is over
Global energy infrastructure is highly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The EU should address this vulnerability as part of its defence against Russian aggression
The EU should do far more to reduce its dependence on imports of energy and critical raw materials. This would help the union preserve its independence in an increasingly dangerous world
In this age of danger, we will need a strong EU and a strong NATO
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced the EU to reassess its security and defence policy. For the EU’s eastern member states, the changes underway are long overdue