What I heard in Munich: Europe gets a brutal awakening- Anna Wieslander
Anna Wieslander
The recipe of the day at the Munich Security Conference (MSC) was to strengthen “the European pillar” in NATO, a concept that has been floated for many years but with little progress. At a side event where I spoke on how to re-think Western policy toward Russia, I was asked whether a European pillar is a realistic proposition. My answer was yes, so long as European allies not only urgently increase defense spending, but spend it to fill identified gaps in military capabilities and invest in enablers needed for Europe to act without the United States if needed.
Germany, France, and the United Kingdom would need to come together and lead. The United Kingdom clearly grasps the Russian threat, but is less influential in Europe since it left the European Union. Therefore, the key to a successful shift lies in Berlin and Paris. If Germany and France see Russia’s true face and realize that it is a severe threat to them as well, then this will be the defining moment for European defense. Europe has to credibly counter Russia, no matter who wins the US elections in November.
Read this blog from Ms. Anna Wieslander, ISDP’s Chair of the Board, in the Atlantic Council’s website on the recently concluded Munich Security Conference.
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