IPQ Frontpage

Investing more in defense and security, tackling illegal migration, containing China, revitalizing the EU: Germany’s foreign policy must finally replace its customary caution with boldness.

As Donald Trump takes office again, tech billionaire Elon Musk will go from speaking for six companies to speaking for a $27 trillion economy. In response, Europe needs to concentrate on accumulating tech power.

Donald Trump’s re-election speaks of the definite end of the globalization consensus in the United States. It also represents a tectonic shift in US foreign policy, says Emily Haber, Germany’s ambassador to Washington during the first Trump administration.

For decades, it has been easier for Berlin to invoke American power than to compromise with its continental neighbors. This has always been a risky bet. Trumpism will force Germany back into Europe—to its benefit.

In the green resource race, the United States and the EU should look to the big island in the North Atlantic and forge a common approach, providing expertise and facilitating the needed investments.

As Russia continues its advances in Ukraine, China, Iran, and North Korea are playing increasingly pivotal roles in supporting Putin’s war and undermining Western sanctions.

Europe is in desperate need of leadership when it comes to security. Yet, so far there is little sign of any Franco-German meeting of minds on defense.

Ukraine’s armed forces surprised many when they managed to counter-invade Russia in early August. In part, the Ukrainians acted out of a sense of urgency, something that is sorely lacking in Western debates.

Europe must become stronger within the framework of NATO and the European Union—militarily, but also economically. This is the only way it can stand up to Vladimir Putin’s aggressive Russia, says Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen.