Russia’s war in Ukraine has forced the European Union to address long-standing strategic challenges.
The most immediate task is to end Europe’s dependence on Russian energy imports, and this process is now underway, with a gradual oil embargo that will reach 90% by the end of the year.
More broadly, Europe must also develop an effective security and defense policy, as well as the capabilities required to implement it. While this ambition itself is not new, there is a fresh impetus for it. Russia’s war makes clear that we need a step change toward greater pooling of defense investments. That was the main conclusion from a European Council discussion about defense recently.