Europe faces its most volatile security environment since the Cold War, shaped by Russia’s war against Ukraine, emerging hybrid threats, rapid technological change, and growing coordination among Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. As European nations dramatically boost defense spending and assume greater responsibility for their own protection, critical questions arise: Can Europe sustain these commitments politically and economically? How will the transatlantic alliance evolve, and what realistic strategy can secure Europe’s future?

On this panel, Michael Kimmage, Director of the Kennan Institute; Philip H. Gordon, Sydney Stein, Jr. Scholar at the Brookings Institution; and Daniel Benjamin, President of the American Academy in Berlin, take stock of the challenges facing Europe, consider how the transatlantic relationship and NATO may evolve as Europe assumes greater responsibility for its own defense, and examine the strategic choices that will shape European security in the years ahead.

The panel is moderated by Valerie Hopkins, Moscow Correspondent for The New York Times.

This discussion is part of the workshop “Securing Europe in a Changing World.”, co-hosted with the Kennan Institute.