This event is part of PRIO's European Security Week and is organized by the CENTREPEACE project.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered the most significant rise in defence spending in Europe since the end of the Cold War. European governments are spending billions on military aid for Ukraine, building up national stocks and investing in defence industries. During spring 2025 the EU launched a European rearmament program, and the European military buildup has been given an additional impetus by the Trump administration's withdrawal from financing aid for Ukraine and its antagonistic relationship with several European states. European rearmament is a profoundly political process which raises deep questions about the nature and future of European security. This discussion brings together some of Europe's leading scholars on defence policies to discuss questions such as:
- Are we witnessing a deep and long lasting transformation of European defence policies?
- Will the EU fulfill its ambition to lead European rearmament?
- Are Central and Eastern European states willing to follow policies advocated by Berlin, Brussels and Paris?
- Will European governments reduce their dependence upon imports from the United States?
Speakers: Bruno Oliveira Martins, Martin Chovančík, Jocelyn Mawdsley, Nicholas Marsh
