Revitalizing Transatlantic Defense: Lessons from Central Europe’s Security Innovation

Abstract

Europe’s post-Cold War demilitarization has led to critical defense dependencies on the United States, a vulnerability exposed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and growing signals of potential U.S. retrenchment. These developments have prompted a strategic reassessment among European NATO members, who now acknowledge the urgent need to increase defense investments to uphold collective security. The recent Hague Summit represents a pivotal moment, as allies begin to view burden-sharing not as a concession to American pressure but as an existential imperative. This issue brief explores the emerging opportunity to restructure transatlantic defense relations on more sustainable and balanced terms. It argues that European states must convert political will into tangible military capabilities while the current momentum endures, especially as the U.S. increasingly prioritizes the Indo-Pacific in response to China’s rise. Ensuring Europe’s self-reliance in continental defense is now both a strategic necessity and a test of allied resolve.