24 March 2025

Townhall Europe, Sq. De Meeûs 5, 1000 Brussels 12:00-14:00

This event will be livestreamed here and on our YouTube channel.

The European Union is at a historic crossroads that will fundamentally shape the future of its security architecture. The American pivot to the Indo-Pacific and the Trump 2.0 administration’s expectations for Europeans to become net security providers for the continent’s conventional defence have reshaped traditional understandings. At the same time, European states seek to fully prepare to face emerging security threats. As a result, the stakes have never been higher. Russia will remain Europe’s primary security threat for years to come, and Europeans must ensure a just, sustainable and lasting peace in Ukraine. These factors have put the EU in the spotlight and underlined the urgent need to build a European Defence Union in full complementarity with NATO.

Security and defence are key priorities for the second term of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In particular, for the first time in the structure of the European Commission, a Commissioner for Defence and Space has been appointed. In their mission letters from the President von der Leyen, both Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space, and Kaja Kallas, High Representative/Vice-President, have been asked to prepare a White Paper on the future of European Defence within the first 100 days of their mandate.

At this event, Commissioner Kubilius will present the White Paper on the Future of European Defence and outline the next steps for the European Union and its Member States in preparing for “the most extreme military contingencies”.