Can Kasapoglu, and Peter Rough
The transatlantic relationship is in turmoil. With the United States and Europe at odds over Western strategy toward Ukraine and Russia, a chorus of European leaders has questioned the reliability of the United States and sought to breathe new life into the concept of European strategic autonomy.
For many, this concept resembles Charles de Gaulle’s famous description of Brazil: it is the idea of the future and always will be. Yet, whatever the long-term prospects of European strategic autonomy may be, in the near term there is no way to help Ukraine fend off Russian aggression without an abundant supply of American arms, strategic enablers, and intelligence support. Unless it is prepared to give up the fight for Ukraine altogether, Europe and the United States will have no choice but to forge a sustainable way to cooperate in the weeks and months ahead.
Three Ways Forward
Three ideas can help to overcome the current impasse and resume support for Ukraine.
The first is the establishment of a European fund to purchase U.S. weapons and equipment for Ukraine. The resources to make this idea a reality already exist in spades. Norway, for example, is sitting on a €1.7 trillion sovereign wealth fund, yet it has spent less than €4 billion in support of Ukraine. Moreover, some €200 billion in Russian assets are frozen in multiple European jurisdictions, principally Belgium. Each day brings a new headline of Europeans pushing for more defense outlays.
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