The Global Order in Transformation: How Will Europe Ensure its Own Security and Promote Stability?

Europe is facing a triple geopolitical shock: Russia's war against Ukraine, shifting U.S. priorities, and intensifying geopolitical competition. Together, these pressures are raising a fundamental question about who will provide for European security, what greater European responsibility should look like, and how Europe can contribute to stability beyond its borders.

On September 30, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation New York Office convened a roundtable on “The Global Order in Transformation: How Can and Will Europe Ensure its Own Security and Promote Stability in the International System?” Klaus Welle, Academic Council Chairman at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies and Special Adviser to the European Commissioner for Defense and Space, opened the discussion with reflections on Europe’s security and its role in promoting stability in a changing international landscape.

Drawing on the framework of “power, speed and scale,” participants discussed what Europe needs to strengthen its security and its ability to act. With defense procurement and capability development requiring time, the discussion emphasized the urgency of decisions in the months ahead. Participants explored questions of leadership, budgets, rapid-reaction capacity, and clearer expectations around European and allied responsibilities, including the need for stronger mechanisms for joint European decision-making and a greater sense of shared European responsibility for security.

Key takeaways:

• Europe will need to take greater responsibility for its own security, while continuing to work closely with NATO, Ukraine, Canada and other strategic partners. Building a wider “group of friends” will remain important to strengthen Europe’s security and resilience.
• Defense cannot be considered in isolation. Europe’s ability to act also depends on political decision-making, access to capital, technological innovation, and economic growth.
• A stronger European security role and a strong multilateral system go hand in hand. Europe’s contribution to global stability will depend not only on greater defense capacity, but also on sustained investment in diplomacy, mediation, peacekeeping, and institutions such at the United Nations.