Vladimir Putin has brought war back to Europe, presenting transatlantic security with the massive challenge of supporting Ukraine and shoring up their own defenses. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shifted the conversation from whether EU countries will spend more on defense, to how can they spend the newly pledged billions of euros the right way? As the response to the war in Ukraine has shown, NATO and the EU work well together when the need arises, but questions remain about how to enhance EU security while strengthening NATO. Listen to this latest episode of Bridging the Atlantic for transatlantic perspectives on Russia, NATO, and the EU’s newly released Strategic Compass.
Ambassador of France to the United States Philippe Étienne begins this episode with some reflections on his storied career before discussing the objectives of the French Presidency of the EU for defense policy. Kristine Berzina, Senior Fellow and Head of the Geopolitics Team at the German Marshall Fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy talks about the origins of her interest in transatlantic security and her view of the EU’s Strategic Compass. And finally, Oliver Mõru, Counsellor for Common Security and Defence Policy at Permanent Representation of Estonia to the EU gives an Estonian perspective on NATO and EU sovereignty.