Opinion
A more assertive Europe to enhance transatlantic security
By Brigadier-General Fritz Urbach November 18, 2020
In a world of changing global political structures and great power competition, our Canadian partners can count on the EU as a reliable and capable ally on the other side of the Atlantic.
Despite the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, which absorbs a lot of efforts, the EU security initiatives are on track and expanding. Flickr photograph courtesy of the EU Naval Force Somalia
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us many lessons, one of them being the importance of a more assertive role for Europe as a security provider and a reliable defender of the rules-based international order. The pandemic accelerated already existing and worrisome trends—questioning of multilateral institutions, the disengagement of some of our allies, growing vulnerabilities in critical sectors of our defence co-operation. The pandemic also happened at a time when the U.S.—so far, the unquestionable security and power provider—continued to withdraw from many parts of the world due to its increased focus on China, while the rules-based international order came under permanent pressure from many sides.
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