**EU Must Invest in Security and Defense to Protect Geostrategic Interests**
The European Union (EU) must invest in security and defense while deepening collaboration with NATO to protect its geostrategic interests. Russia’s war against Ukraine is not just about Ukraine’s freedom and survival, but also about the future of Europe’s hard security.
**Russia Wants to Replace Cooperative Security Order with Empire**
Russia wants to replace the cooperative, democratic security order in Europe with one where might makes right and Russia dominates large parts of Europe. This would pose an existential security threat to the EU and its member states. The EU’s decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine is a geostrategic investment that could strengthen the European security order.
**Ukraine’s Membership in NATO Remains Goal**
NATO membership remains Ukraine’s goal, but there is currently no consensus within NATO on extending an invitation to Ukraine. However, this could change quickly, and European countries are right to insist that Ukrainian NATO membership would be the best and cheapest option for ensuring security in the North Atlantic area.
**EU Must Secure Its Geostrategic Investment**
The EU must seriously consider how it can secure its geostrategic investment without security guarantees under NATO’s Article 5. The possibility of EU member states and countries like the U.K. and Norway deploying troops on Ukrainian territory cannot be ruled out. Against this backdrop, the need to step up the EU’s hard security is not a distant task.
**EU Must Deliver on Its Ambition**
To secure an eastward EU enlargement and take on a new role in world politics, European leaders must improve their strategic communication with citizens about why enlargement is a geostrategic investment and why it needs security. The EU must also improve its strategic communication with the U.S. to ensure effective cooperation.
**5 Steps for Securing an Eastward Enlargement**
1. **Improve Strategic Communication**: European leaders must improve their strategic communication with citizens about the concrete contributions that candidate countries can make to the EU’s security and economic prosperity as full member states.
2. **Increase Defense Spending**: The EU must increase defense spending to close capability gaps and strengthen Europe’s defense infrastructure. Taking on EU common debt through defense bonds could also offer financial firepower.
3. **Close Capability Gaps**: The EU must prioritize closing capability gaps by investing in modern military equipment, logistics, and intelligence structures.
4. **Strengthen Cooperation with NATO**: Greater cooperation between the EU and NATO will be necessary to ensure effective complementarity and intelligence sharing between the two organizations.
5. **Establish Joint Military Command**: European states should establish a joint military command responsible for planning operations on Ukrainian territory and potential reinforcements in case of a crisis.
**Conclusion**
The EU must take decisive action to protect its geostrategic interests by investing in security and defense while deepening collaboration with NATO. The 5 steps outlined above will help secure an eastward enlargement and ensure Europe’s security and stability.
