Paris and Berlin need to find new ways to drive Europe forward despite their diverging visions—and uncertainty over elections. 

NATO’s eastern flank is increasingly making its voice heard when it comes to European security—but this does not translate into political influence yet. However, security dynamics are likely to change and will affect European defense integration more broadly.

Russia’s war against Ukraine has confirmed the importance of both NATO and the EU in European security. The thinking now needs to move toward “European defense space.”