At NATO’s July summit in Ankara, leaders will gather as Russia’s war on Ukraine shows no sign of abating, doubts continue about the commitment of the United States to the alliance and the Iran war remains unresolved. The question of security for Europe will, therefore, be as high on the agenda as ever – and will require new thinking.
In response, host nation Turkey, at the Ankara summit and beyond, will be pressing to see the issue addressed more broadly than at the European Union level. How? By establishing closer cooperation among NATO’s EU members and its non-EU European members. Member states must also look beyond a narrow conception of Europe by building a wider understanding of the ‘neighbourhood’, particularly to the south. At the same time they should realize the effect on them of seismic shifts in global geopolitics and their relations with one another.
