A Post-Atlantic Europe

The burden-sharing debate under way within the NATO alliance assumes that European security is a public good that the United States pays for and from which Europeans benefit. The reality is more complicated given the threats Europeans face. The situation is also complicated by the fact that the US may no longer be so heavily invested in providing for European security. Europeans will need to adapt to this changing geopolitical environment, and the European Union will play a crucial role in that adaptation. Only the EU can help Europeans mount the kind of ‘whole of society’ effort needed to respond to the wide range of threats they face, including consistent pressure from adversaries like Russia that seek to destabilise European politics and undermine European solidarity. And only the EU can coordinate with key partners and allies to ensure Europeans have access to the resources they need to achieve strategic autonomy. The new European strategy goes far beyond redressing the balance for burden-sharing within the NATO alliance by seeking to prepare Europeans for the efforts that will be needed to ensure their own security even without assistance from the United States.