How capable is Europe of defending itself in the face of growing geopolitical tensions, and what role can Germany and France play in strengthening European security? These questions were the focus of the Franco-German strategic dialogue ‘Can we defend ourselves? Europe between Washington, Moscow and Beijing’, organised by the Academy in cooperation with the Institut français, CASSIS at the University of Bonn, CERC at the University of Bonn and the Bonn Academy for Research and Teaching in Practical Politics (BAPP).

Against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s second term in office and the increasing strains on transatlantic relations, the discussion centred on the challenges facing European defence capabilities. Particular attention was paid to the threat posed by Russia, ongoing support for Ukraine, and new dangers arising from drones, cyber-attacks and technological dependencies. Economic competition between the major powers and the strategic importance of international trade routes also highlighted the complexity of the European security situation. The discussion featured Frédéric Charillon (Université Paris Cité), Delphine Deschaux-Dutard (Université Grenoble Alpes), Ulrich Schlie (University of Bonn) and Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova from the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, who was the Academy’s first fellow several years ago. The discussion centred on the possibilities and limitations of Europe’s strategic autonomy. The focus was on how European states can expand their military capabilities, reduce technological dependencies and deepen their cooperation on security policy. At the same time, political differences between European partners and the challenges of establishing a common strategic direction were discussed. It was emphasised that greater European autonomy does not necessarily entail a break with the US, but rather requires, above all, resilient partnerships, shared political goals and concrete capabilities.