After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and growing pressure from Washington, the European Union is confronting a question once considered unthinkable: is Europe ready to defend itself? Long reliant on diplomacy, economic ties, and U.S. security guarantees, the bloc now faces a far harsher reality.
With the war in Ukraine dragging on and warnings from military leaders growing increasingly blunt, Brussels is moving quickly to reinforce Europe’s defence capacity. EU leaders have approved major funding packages for Ukraine and launched initiatives aimed at strengthening deterrence by 2030. NATO officials and national defence ministers warn that future conflict is no longer theoretical, with some suggesting Europe may already have experienced its “last summer of peace.”
Yet public readiness lags behind political urgency. Polls show most Europeans are unwilling to fight, revealing a widening gap between government planning and public sentiment. Concern is highest in Eastern Europe, where countries closest to Russia have moved fastest—reviving civil defence guides, border protections, and national preparedness campaigns.
At the EU level, Brussels has launched its most ambitious defence coordination effort to date, focusing on faster troop movement, joint weapons procurement, and industrial readiness. Despite rising budgets, officials acknowledge deep structural limits. Europe is no longer debating whether to act—but whether it can move fast enough.
