Tomi Huhtanen – Executive Director at the Martens Centre 
“A further escalation of the war in Ukraine could supercharge European integration and cooperation. Both the recently published National Security Strategy of the United States and the news of handing over responsibility for conventional military forces from the US to the Europeans within NATO, are changing how Europe operates. A concrete example will be the discussion of the formation of the European Security Council, which will speed up in 2026.”

Ionela Ciolan – Research Officer at the Martens Centre 

“In 2026 Europe needs to focus on consolidating Europe’s strategic responsibility in practice rather than in slogan. First, Europeans should focus on building a robust European Defence Union that can fill the gaps left by the U.S.’s diminishing engagement. By working together, European countries can turn the European Union into a strong, credible global player in a world dominated by illiberal powers and transactional politics. However, if Europeans fail to come together and remain fragmented, they risk becoming vulnerable targets in an increasingly multipolar environment, making them easy prey for the ideological attacks of MAGA, Russian hybrid warfare and Chinese economic pressure.”