After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Union faces a new reality: the need to take its own defence seriously. For decades, Europe relied on diplomacy, economic ties, and U.S. security guarantees to maintain stability. Those assumptions are now being tested as the war in Ukraine continues and concerns about future aggression grow. The EU is moving quickly to strengthen its military, industrial, and strategic foundations. The urgency in Brussels reflects the shattering of long-standing ideas of security, while Washington has signaled that Europe must assume more responsibility for its own defence. Leaders must balance deterring threats with maintaining internal unity.
In December, the EU approved a €90 billion loan package to support Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled defence initiatives aimed at enhancing the bloc’s deterrence capabilities by 2030. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia is ready to fight if necessary, while NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte cautioned that Europe could be the “next target.” Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius suggested Europe may have already experienced its “last summer of peace.”
Governments are taking action by increasing defence budgets, boosting military production, and stockpiling equipment. NATO is expanding troop deployments, particularly in Eastern Europe. Yet most Europeans are not personally prepared for war; daily life continues largely unchanged, emergency readiness is limited, and public opinion is mixed.
Europe now stands at a crossroads. Institutions are strengthening, industries are ramping up, and military alliances are reinforcing presence—but citizens remain largely unprepared. While Europe grows more capable of defending itself, the continent must learn to live with the reality that peace can no longer be assumed.
