Defence of Europe: How much autonomy can the EU afford?

– , Berlin time (CET, UTC+1)
Online

Guests

Jana Puglierin, Head of Berlin Office, European Council on Foreign Relations

Tomasz Szatkowski, Permanent Representative, Permanent Delegation of the Republic of Poland to NATO

Tara Varma, Head of Paris Office, European Council on Foreign Relations

Chaired by

Piotr Buras, Head of Warsaw Office, European Council on Foreign Relations

Introductory remarks:

Michał Kuź, Foreign Policy Expert, Jagiellonian Club

There is a growing awareness that the EU should do more on defence given the strategic reorientation of the United States, the growing assertiveness of China, the rising hostility of Russia, and the terrorist threats in its neighbourhood. However, bridging the divides between EU member states on possible responses to these challenges remains a challenge in itself. Does the draft of the Strategic Compass provide adequate responses for an EU that aims to match its needs and ambitions with a realistic toolkit? What is – or should be – Europe’s level of ambition within the next 5-10 years as it seeks to take care of its own security? Is the idea of the EU’s strategic autonomy – a notion that the draft Strategic Compass only mentions once – worth pursuing or rather a divisive concept that it should abandon?