Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s strategic reality has shifted irreversibly. As war grinds on at the EU’s borders, warnings that Moscow’s ambitions extend beyond Ukraine grow louder. Meanwhile, escalating tensions in the Middle East, compounded by shifting U.S. foreign policy priorities, have injected further volatility into the global security order.
For Europe, these challenges arrive at a moment of transformation. The arrival of a new European Commission and Parliament, coupled with negotiations over the bloc’s future financial framework, will determine whether Europe can take meaningful steps toward strengthening its own security architecture. The NATO-EU partnership is evolving in response to the changing nature of warfare, while efforts to secure defence supply chains, deepen defence industrial cooperation, and enhance the adoption of emerging and disruptive technologies have taken on fresh urgency.
Against this backdrop, the 2025 European Defence and Security Summit will convene senior leaders from national governments, EU institutions, NATO, industry, and armed forces to define Europe’s security priorities in this new era. Through high-level discussions and strategic engagements, the summit will assess how Europe can transform today’s crises into opportunities - fortifying its defences, fostering resilience, and cementing its role as a credible geopolitical actor.
