on Onda za, Nicolai
Resea ch Repo
Con ou s o an EU pa ne ship and alliance s a egy: How
Eu ope plans o s eng hen i s secu i y wi h pa ne s
beyond he Uni ed S a es
SWP Commen , No. 29/2025
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
S i ung Wissenscha und Poli ik (SWP), Ge man Ins i u e o In e na ional and Secu i y A ai s,
Be lin
Sugges ed Ci a ion: on Onda za, Nicolai (2025) : Con ou s o an EU pa ne ship and alliance
s a egy: How Eu ope plans o s eng hen i s secu i y wi h pa ne s beyond he Uni ed S a es, SWP
Commen , No. 29/2025, S i ung Wissenscha und Poli ik (SWP), Be lin,
h ps://doi.o g/10.18449/2025C29
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NO.
29
JUNE 2025
In oduc ion
Con ou s o an EU Pa ne ship and
Alliance S a egy
How Eu ope Plans o S eng hen I s Secu i y wi h Pa ne s beyond he Uni ed S a es
Nicolai on Onda za
Eu ope mus ake mo e esponsibili y o i s de ence, i necessa y wi hou he Uni ed
S a es, gi en Washing on’s ola ili y. In Ma ch 2025, he Eu opean Union (EU) launched
a se ies o ini ia i es o s eng hen de ence indus y and de ence policy coope a ion.
Wi h hese new ins umen s also come he ou lines o a new pa ne ship s a egy.
P e ious B ussels o ma s o de ence indus ial coope a ion we e only open o mem-
be s o he EU and he Eu opean Economic A ea (EEA). The Secu i y Ac ion Fo Eu ope
(SAFE) Regula ion – adop ed by he EU in May 2025 – on he o he hand, p o ides o a
le el o in eg a ion o Uk aine in his sec o ha comes close o ha o an EU mem-
be . Wi h he Uni ed Kingdom, he EU has c ea ed new oppo uni ies o pa icipa-
ion o he i s ime since B exi ia a secu i y pa ne ship ag eemen . The EU also
wan s o o e coun ies such as Canada, Tu key, Japan, Sou h Ko ea, Aus alia and
e en India poin s o con ac ia pa ne ship ag eemen s. In o de o his s a egy o
be success ul, he EU needs o make i sel a mo e a ac i e pa ne .
Since he Uni ed S a es, unde P esiden
Donald T ump, has implemen ed a change
o s a egy in i s Uk aine policy and is con-
duc ing di ec nego ia ions wi h Russia
wi hou he Eu opeans, he Eu opean secu-
i y o de is in a phase o eo ien a ion. Old
ce ain ies a e dissol ing, in pa icula he
i m belie in he Ame ican secu i y gua -
an ee ia NATO. The new p e ailing eno is
ha Eu opeans mus ake mo e esponsibil-
i y o hei own secu i y as quickly as pos-
sible and in es massi ely in hei de ence
and a ms indus y.
The ins i u ional componen o his
eo ganisa ion emains complex, as does
he ques ion o who exac ly belongs o
“Eu ope”. NATO con inues o o m he cen-
al amewo k o common de ence –
wi h a s onge ocus on i s Eu opean
pilla – while F ance and he Uni ed King-
dom a e o ging a Coali ion o he Willing
o a possible mission in Uk aine. The EU,
meanwhile, is aiming o imp o e i s indus-
ial and iscal ounda ions o a mo e
au onomous Eu opean de ence capabili y.
To his end, he EU has published a Whi e
Pape on de ence en i led “Readiness 2030”
and launched a se ies o ins umen s o
suppo he membe s a es in he a ea o
a mamen s and s eng hen coope a ion.
SWP Commen 29
June 2025
2
These include he SAFE Regula ion, adop ed
in May, wi h which he EU in ends o aise
150 billion eu os and make i a ailable o
he membe s a es as loans. O he ins u-
men s include he use o “na ional escape
clauses” in EU iscal ules o exemp na ion-
al de ence spending – ini ially o ou
yea s – he mobilisa ion o p i a e capi al,
and p ocedu es and incen i es o join
de ence p ocu emen .
Opening up o EU pa ne s
I is his a ea o join p ocu emen and join
in es men in he Eu opean de ence indus-
y o which EU s a es ha e ag eed a new
app oach o he Union’s pa ne s a he
p oposal o he Eu opean Commission. The
Commission is building on he S a egic
Compass o 2022, acco ding o which secu-
i y pa ne ships should o m one o he
pilla s o EU o eign and secu i y policy (see
SWP Commen 3/2022).
Fi s , he EU wan s o play a much bigge
ole in he de ence indus y. Un il now, he
EU has only played a subo dina e ole in
his policy a ea. Mili a y p ocu emen is
la gely excluded om he egula ules o
he in e nal ma ke (see A . 346 TFEU).
Ins umen s such as he Eu opean De ence
Fund (EDF) had oo limi ed a size o make
hem ele an o co esponding decisions
by membe s a es. This is now se o change
wi h he SAFE Regula ion, which is a pla -
o m o join p ocu emen and o he
ini ia i es.
Wi h i s p e ious de ence coope a ion
ins umen s, he EU was e y selec i e
when i came o he in ol emen o iendly
hi d coun ies. I does no ha e an o e -
a ching se o ules o such cases, bu
a he sligh ly di e en guidelines o co-
ope a ion wi h he Eu opean De ence Agen-
cy (EDA), in ol emen in selec ed p ojec s
unde he Pe manen S uc u ed Coope a-
ion (PESCO) and pa icipa ion in he EDF
(see SWP Wo king Pape , Resea ch Di ision
EU/Eu ope 2/2025). Fo example, mo e han
20 coun ies ha e concluded ag eemen s o
pa icipa e in EU ope a ions. The Uni ed
S a es, Canada and, in u u e, he Uni ed
Kingdom a e pa icipa ing in he PESCO
p ojec o mili a y mobili y. Howe e , he
EU had p e iously d awn a clea bounda y:
Wi h a ew excep ions, de ence indus y
coope a ion was only open o EU membe s
and coun ies ha a e linked o he EU
in e nal ma ke ia he EEA – he la e
applies in pa icula o No way. O all he
non-EU s a es, No way has he e o e been
he mos closely in eg a ed in o he ins u-
men s o B ussels’ de ence policy, in some
cases e en mo e so han some EU s a es
such as Mal a, I eland and Aus ia. This
applies, o example, o PESCO p ojec s,
pa icipa ion in he EDF and EU ope a ions,
as well as in ol emen wi h he EDA.
O he NATO bu non-EU s a es such as
he Uni ed Kingdom and Tu key we e
denied pa icipa ion. The Whi e Pape on
de ence and he SAFE Regula ion in oduce
a po en ial eo ganisa ion o pa ne ships
he e. SAFE loans a e ese ed exclusi ely
o EU membe s a es. Howe e , he o e s
o hi d coun ies o pa icipa e in join
p ocu emen a e no longe based pu ely on
he logic o in eg a ion, and hus equi e
membe ship in he in e nal ma ke ; ins ead,
he EU is opening up o selec ed pa ne s
wi h which i has concluded secu i y pa ne -
ships, hus u ning a legal equi emen in o
a poli ical choice. A he same ime, his
p ocu emen should p ima ily (a leas
65 pe cen ) include componen s om Eu o-
pean de ence companies, po en ially in-
ol ing hose based in pa ne coun ies. In
pa allel, EU leade s began consul ing “like-
minded” NATO pa ne s he day a e he
Eu opean Council mee ings in Ma ch 2025.
The coun ies discussed below a e in he
o eg ound.
SWP Commen 29
June 2025
3
Map 1
SWP Commen 29
June 2025
4
Special ole o Uk aine
Uk aine plays a ema kably p ominen ole.
In he SAFE Regula ion, wi h ew excep-
ions, i is pu a he same le el as EU mem-
be s, analogous o he EEA s a es. This is
su p ising inso a as Uk aine, unlike he
EEA membe s, does no pa icipa e in he
EU in e nal ma ke . Ne e heless, Com-
mission P esiden U sula on de Leyen is
s i ing o close in eg a ion o he Uk aini-
an de ence indus y, which is de eloping
apidly unde he p essu e o wa , o
example wi h ega d o d ones and AI ech-
nology.
Uk aine’s special s a us goes e en u -
he . EU membe s a es wishing o apply
o SAFE loans a e equi ed o submi a
“De ence Indus y In es men Plan” o he
Commission. This should no only speci y
any planned pu chases, bu also emphasise
i s own s eps o suppo Uk aine and i s
pa icipa ion in join p ocu emen (A . 7
pa a. 2 SAFE Regula ion).
The 65 pe cen a ge is o apply o all
businesses based in he EU, he EEA and
Uk aine – wi hou Kyi ha ing o conclude
a pa ne ship ag eemen . This is in ended
o accele a e links be ween he Uk ainian
and EU-Eu opean de ence indus ies, bu i
also ep esen s a ema kable example o
g adual in eg a ion in o he EU, long be o e
he desi ed ull membe ship. Las bu no
leas , he Uk ainian p esiden has a ended
mos o he Eu opean Council mee ings
since 2022 as a gues o indi idual agenda
i ems – whe he in pe son o ia ideo
link.
New secu i y pa ne ship wi h
he Uni ed Kingdom
The EU has also explici ly c ea ed new
oppo uni ies o he Uni ed Kingdom. Du -
ing he B exi p ocess, London wi hd ew
om any ins i u ionalised coope a ion wi h
he EU in ma e s o secu i y and de ence
policy. Howe e , a app ochemen has been
aking place since Russia’s ull-scale in a-
sion o Uk aine in 2022; he cu en Labou
go e nmen has been wo king owa ds an
EU-UK secu i y pac (see SWP Commen
27/2024). None heless, he exis ing hi d-
coun y ules, which clea ly exclude coun-
ies ou side he EU in e nal ma ke om
de ence indus y coope a ion, would ha e
se e ely limi ed he scope o such a secu i y
pac .
The SAFE Regula ion and he Whi e
Pape on de ence now s ipula e ha join
p ocu emen and he modali ies o o igin
can be ex ended beyond EU and EEA mem-
be s and Uk aine o “like-minded” s a es
ha ha e nego ia ed a secu i y pa ne ship
ag eemen wi h he EU. EU leade s explic-
i ly include he Uni ed Kingdom among
hese “like-minded” s a es and concluded a
Secu i y and De ence Pa ne ship Ag ee-
men wi h i in May 2025 a he i s EU-UK
summi since B exi .
This ag eemen se s a new cou se in ou
espec s. Fi s ly, i closes one o he gaps in
he T ade and Coope a ion Ag eemen ,
which was concluded a e B exi in a phase
when he B i ish – unde P ime Minis e
Bo is Johnson – we e s ill explici ly uling
ou s uc u al coope a ion wi h he EU in
o eign and secu i y policy ma e s. In con-
as , egula o ma s o exchange a e now
being c ea ed be ween he High Rep esen-
a i e and he B i ish Fo eign and De ence
Sec e a ies, as well as a he wo king le el
be ween he Eu opean Ex e nal Ac ion Se -
ice (EEAS) and he ele an B i ish min-
is ies.
Secondly, he ag eemen – in combina-
ion wi h he SAFE Regula ion nego ia ed a
he same ime – lays he ounda ion o
he Uni ed Kingdom o pa icipa e in join
p ocu emen in he EU wi hou being in
he in e nal ma ke . Howe e , in o de o
ealise his and o de e mine he condi ions
unde which B i ish de ence companies all
unde he 65 pe cen in e nal p ocu emen
a ge o SAFE, a u he ag eemen is e-
qui ed and is cu en ly being nego ia ed.
Thi dly, he pa ne ship ag eemen also
con ains a se ies o decla a ions o in en o
deepen EU-UK coope a ion in secu i y and
de ence policy. These include a amewo k
ag eemen o B i ish pa icipa ion in ci il-
ian and mili a y EU ope a ions, an ag ee-
SWP Commen 29
June 2025
5
men on adminis a i e coope a ion wi h
he EDA and coope a ion on mili a y
exe cises, including he exchange o
pe sonnel be ween he EU and B i ish
ins i u ions.
Fou hly and inally, a b oad ange o
opics was de ined on which coope a ion
would be in ensi ied. These include e-
gional secu i y (such as Uk aine, he
Wes e n Balkans, he A c ic and he Indo-
Paci ic), he coo dina ion o sanc ions,
ma i ime secu i y, a mamen s policy ini-
ia i es, cybe secu i y, coo dina ion in
in e na ional o ganisa ions, ex e nal eco-
nomic secu i y, mig a ion, he clima e and
secu i y nexus, and global heal h. Along-
side No way, his po en ially makes he
Uni ed Kingdom he EU’s closes secu i y
pa ne – i he decla a ions o in en a e
ac ually pu sued.
A di icul balancing ac wi h
Tu key
The coope a ion wi h Tu key poses o he
challenges. On he one hand, he coun y
has he second-la ges a med o ces in
NATO; i has buil up a subs an ial de ence
indus y, o example in he d one sec o ,
and al eady has a ms ag eemen s wi h
indi idual EU and NATO s a es such as
Poland, Spain and I aly. The coun y’s s a-
egic impo ance o he Black Sea egion,
he Sou h Caucasus and he Middle Eas has
also inc eased. On he o he hand, secu i y
ela ions be ween he EU and Anka a ha e
been de ac o blocked since 2004 due o
he Cyp us con lic . Al hough Tu key has
pa icipa ed in p e ious mili a y ope a ions
wi hin he amewo k o he Common
Secu i y and De ence Policy (CSDP), i has so
a been excluded om all a ms policy ini-
ia i es such as PESCO, he EDF and he
EDA. In egions wi h a la ge Tu kish mili-
a y p esence, Anka a also ac s as a s a egic
i al o (pa s o ) he EU, o example in he
case o Sy ia. Las bu no leas , he end
owa ds he au oc a isa ion o Tu key has
ecen ly accele a ed. I was pa icula ly
s iking ha he a es o Is anbul’s mayo
and E doğan i al, Ek em İmamoğlu, in
Ma ch 2025 ook place sho ly a e he
in i a ion o he s a egic exchange wi h he
EU. The o icial c i icism om B ussels was
co espondingly cau ious.
In iew o his balancing ac , which is
no new, i is all he mo e ema kable ha
he EU is becoming mo e open o in ol ing
Anka a in secu i y policy. Tu key was
always in i ed o he consul a ions wi h
like-minded pa ne s ollowing Eu opean
Council mee ings. I has also been ep e-
sen ed in he B i ish-F ench s and o he
Coali ion o he Willing since he London
mee ing on 2 Ma ch 2025, and i has public-
ly o e ed he p ospec o pa icipa ing in
a mission o moni o a po en ial cease i e
in Uk aine.
Fo i s pa , he Commission has p o-
posed in he SAFE Regula ion ha all candi-
da e coun ies – including Tu key – can
pa icipa e in join p ocu emen p ojec s.
Con e sely, howe e , de ence p oduc s
om Tu key and o he candida e coun ies
a e no au oma ically included in he
“Eu opean” sha e, unlike goods om
Uk aine. The (albei cau ious) app oche-
men wi h Tu key is pa icula ly e iden
when con as ed wi h he app oaches o
o he candida e coun ies beyond Uk aine,
which we e no included in he exchange
o ma s ha ha e now been ca ied ou
wice ollowing he Eu opean Council mee -
ings in Ma ch 2025. This also applies o
Mon eneg o, Albania and No h Macedonia,
which ha e al eady joined NATO. Howe e ,
he EU has al eady concluded secu i y
pa ne ships wi h he la e wo. The e a e
also ques ion ma ks o e how o deal wi h
Geo gia: Legally, i is now a candida e coun-
y and hus would all unde he ca ego y
o pa ne s unde SAFE. The EU also con-
duc ed a egula secu i y dialogue wi h
Geo gia up un il 2024. Howe e , since he
Geo gian go e nmen has ecen ly u ned
owa ds Russia, he accession p ocess has
been de ac o hal ed and conc e e de ence
indus ial coope a ion is unlikely as long as
he poli ical si ua ion in Geo gia does no
change.
SWP Commen 29
June 2025
6
S eng hening global pa ne ships
Beyond he EU’s di ec neighbou hood, he
EU also wan s o conclude u he secu i y
pa ne ships. O pa icula impo ance now
is Canada, which has been hi wi h pa icu-
la ly high a i s by he T ump adminis a-
ion. Addi ionally, P esiden T ump egu-
la ly h ea ens o make i he “51s s a e” o
he Uni ed S a es. As a esul , he EU is
coo dina ing closely wi h Canada on ade
issues and has al eady begun nego ia ions
on a secu i y ag eemen . The la e is o
explici ly include a de ence indus y com-
ponen so ha he coun y can pa icipa e
in join p ocu emen and Canadian p od-
uc s a e included in he “Eu opean” sha e.
In a b eak om adi ion, Canada’s new
p ime minis e , Ma k Ca ney, did no a el
o he Uni ed S a es o his i s isi ab oad,
bu o F ance and he Uni ed Kingdom. The
upcoming EU-Canada summi , which bo h
sides a e planning on he e e o he NATO
mee ing a he end o June 2025, will also
ocus s ongly on secu i y and de ence co-
ope a ion. The EU has also been conduc ing
a secu i y dialogue wi h NATO membe
s a e Iceland since 2023.
The EU’s mos p ominen global pa ne s
a e Japan and Sou h Ko ea. I has long main-
ained comp ehensi e ee ade ag ee-
men s wi h bo h coun ies and has also had
a secu i y ag eemen wi h each since he
end o 2024. Sou h Ko ea has now become
an impo an de ence supplie o indi idu-
al membe s a es such as Poland (see SWP
Resea ch Pape 2/2023). Bo h coun ies ha e
suppo ed Uk aine inancially and wi h
a ms deli e ies, also as a signal o China
wi h ega d o Taiwan. Secu i y policy co-
ope a ion is also o be explo ed wi h Aus-
alia, wi h which he EU is nego ia ing a
ee ade ag eemen , and wi h New Zealand,
wi h which such an ag eemen has been in
o ce since 2024.
The EU is also emphasising India as a
po en ial pa ne (see SWP Resea ch Pape
17/2024) and has been holding egula
consul a ions in ecen yea s. An EU-India
ee ade ag eemen is being sough , al-
hough he nego ia ions a e complex. In
Feb ua y 2025, he en i e on de Leyen
Commission isi ed he coun y – he i s
non-Eu opean ip in he new e m o o ice.
Among o he hings, i was ag eed in New
Delhi o examine a possible secu i y pa -
ne ship ag eemen . The EU also wan s o
es ablish a secu i y dialogue wi h Singapo e.
Key aspec s o he exis ing
secu i y pa ne ships
The EU’s in e es in i s own secu i y pa -
ne ships is no en i ely new. E en be o e
he new ag eemen wi h he Uni ed King-
dom, i had al eady concluded a whole
se ies o hem in 2024, namely (in he o de
in which hey we e signed) wi h he Repub-
lic o Moldo a, No way, Uk aine, Japan,
Sou h Ko ea, Albania and No h Macedonia.
Wha all o hese secu i y pa ne ship
ag eemen s ha e in common is ha hey
emphasise a common se o alues and
hei h ea analyses ocus on he same dan-
ge s – such as hyb id a acks, cybe a acks,
in e na ional e o ism, he p oli e a ion
o weapons o mass des uc ion and h ea s
o in e na ional o ganisa ions. Howe e ,
hey a e no mu ual assis ance ag eemen s.
Conc e ely, all six ag eemen s men ion
pa icipa ion in EU missions and ope a-
ions, s uc u ed dialogue on secu i y issues
and po en ial coo dina ion in in e na ional
o ums. An ins i u ional amewo k is also
c ea ed o each o hese, including annual
EU summi s wi h Japan and Sou h Ko ea
as well as s a egic dialogue o ma s a
wo king and minis e ial le els.
The di e ences be ween he ag eemen s
lie p ima ily in he dep h o coope a ion
and di e ging p io i ies. Fo example, he
ag eemen wi h No way is he mos ex en-
si e and mos conc e e, analogous o p e-
ious coope a ion ag eemen s. I he pa ies
ollow h ough on he a ious decla a ions
o in en , he Uni ed Kingdom will come
close o a simila le el. An expec ed di e -
ence be ween he secu i y pa ne ships
wi h Japan and Sou h Ko ea is ha he
ag eemen s in ques ion do no men ion
suppo o Uk aine o coope a ion on bo -
SWP Commen 29
June 2025
7
de p o ec ion, bu ins ead place a g ea e
ocus on ma i ime secu i y and he p o ec-
ion o ade ou es. These wo ag eemen s
also con ain a decla a ion o in en o an
ag eemen on he secu i y o classi ied
in o ma ion, as he EU al eady has wi h he
o he ou coun ies, as well as he Uni ed
Kingdom, Canada and he Uni ed S a es.
In hei cu en o m, he secu i y pa -
ne ship ag eemen s a e he e o e p ima ily
symbolic and aimed a s eng hening co-
o dina ion, as he e a e no mu ual p om-
ises o assis ance. Many aspec s such as
join exe cises and pa icipa ion in CSDP
ope a ions ini ially emain a he le el o
decla a ions o in en . As a as he de ence
indus y is conce ned, only consul a ions
a e en isaged in each case; howe e , he
ag eemen s o da e do no ye con ain any
p o isions on pa icipa ion in CSDP ins u-
men s. On he basis o SAFE, i would now
be concei able o in ol e he s a es con-
ce ned in join p ocu emen . Howe e , in
o de o he s a es o bene i mo e ex en-
si ely om he new ins umen and be able
o coun hei own de ence indus y o-
wa ds he minimum 65 pe cen sha e,
hey – as well as he Uni ed Kingdom and
he candida e coun ies – would s ill ha e
o conclude a sepa a e ag eemen wi h he
EU on SAFE.
Pa ne ships on h ee le els
In he u u e, he EU’s de ence and a ma-
men s policy ini ia i es will no only
s eng hen Eu opean esilience and indus-
y, bu also c ea e a new ne wo k o pa -
ne ships. I one examines he lis o exis ing
and po en ial pa ne s, he con ou s o an
EU pa ne ship and alliance s a egy can
be ecognised on h ee le els.
Fi s ly, he membe s o he EEA will
con inue o be he mos closely in eg a ed
and connec ed. This applies in pa icula o
No way, which is mo e closely in eg a ed
in o he CSDP s uc u es han some EU
s a es. Wha is new, howe e , is ha Uk aine
is la gely ea ed as an EU membe in SAFE,
and EU s a es ha use he ins umen ben-
e i pa icula ly om coope a ion wi h Kyi .
A he second le el a e “like-minded”
NATO pa ne s ou side he EU, wi h whom
he B ussels leade ship has al eady held
consul a ions a e he successi e Eu opean
Council mee ings in Ma ch. The Uni ed
Kingdom is o pa icula impo ance he e.
The Secu i y and De ence Pa ne ship
Ag eemen wi h London now opens up he
p ospec o de ence policy and de ence in-
dus y coope a ion, which could also in-
clude B i ish pa icipa ion in join p ocu e-
men – al hough de ails, including he
modali ies o pa icipa ion in SAFE, s ill
need o be nego ia ed. This will equi e
bo h sides o o e come old B exi aumas.
Canada is also u ning owa ds he EU and
he Eu opeans in he ace o cons an h ea s
om Washing on. The ela ionship wi h
Tu key emains complica ed bu could also
lead o a secu i y pa ne ship.
Global pa ne s a e loca ed a he hi d
le el. Among hese, he EU has al eady con-
cluded secu i y pa ne ships wi h Japan and
Sou h Ko ea, bu hese ha e so a mainly
comp ised decla a ions o in en , coo dina-
ion o ma s and diploma ic iendships.
O he po en ial pa ne s a e Aus alia and
New Zealand, as well as India and Singa-
po e.
The EU needs o make i sel an
a ac i e pa ne
The mos impo an p e equisi e o he
success o his alliance s a egy is ha he
EU makes i sel a mo e a ac i e pa ne .
Only an EU ha in es s ex ensi ely in
secu i y and de ence and in which such
in es men s low la gely o i s own indus y
and ha o selec ed pa ne s can o e ull
secu i y ag eemen s. SAFE needs o be
widely u ilised by he membe s a es in
o de o succeed whe e p e ious EU ini ia-
i es ha e ailed: namely in he de elop-
men o join p ocu emen , inancing and
coope a ion in he ea mamen o Eu ope.
The new Ge man go e nmen should se
a good example he e. Then he EU can
app oach i s pa ne s wi h p omising o e s.
SWP Commen 29
June 2025
8
Cle e ly designed EU pa ne ships should
simpli y he complex Eu opean secu i y
a chi ec u e, o a leas no complica e i
any u he . Incompa ibili ies wi h NATO
ini ia i es should he e o e be s ic ly
a oided. Con e sely, EU p ojec s can
s eng hen he Eu opean pilla o he alli-
ance h ough close ies wi h NATO pa -
ne s; his applies o coun ies such as he
Uni ed Kingdom, No way, Canada and
(mo e limi ed due o he di icul ela ion-
ship) Tu key.
In o de o ealise a genuine pa ne ship
and alliance s a egy, he EU should wo k
on linking he secu i y pa ne ships wi h
b oade coope a ion whe e possible – in
ade policy, in he de ence o he ules-
based o de and in geos a egic compe i-
ion. The EU al eady has a - eaching ade
ag eemen s wi h impo an pa ne s: om
No way’s EEA membe ship o he associa-
ion ag eemen s wi h Uk aine and o he
candida e coun ies; he T ade and Coope a-
ion Ag eemen wi h he Uni ed Kingdom;
and he ee ade ag eemen s wi h Canada,
Japan and Sou h Ko ea. The agg essi e and
unp edic able a i policy o he US admin-
is a ion equi es new pa ne ships ha
can be coupled wi h secu i y coope a ion.
The e a e a numbe o op ions o his. Fo
example, consul a ion mechanisms could
be se up wi h pa ne s in he e en o –
economic o mili a y – p essu e om hi d
pa ies; dialogues on mili a y secu i y could
be combined wi h hose on economic secu-
i y; o join measu es could be ag eed on
secu i y- ela ed opics, such as access o
c i ical aw ma e ials o he p o ec ion o
supply chains and c i ical in as uc u e.
This also equi es mo e syne gies be ween
economic and mili a y secu i y wi hin he
EU, in pa icula h ough coo dina ion
wi hin he Commission and wi h he EEAS.
I Eu opeans wan o a oid becoming a
pawn o o eign powe s in a wo ld inc eas-
ingly cha ac e ised by sphe es o in e es ,
hey mus summon he s eng h o become
a pole o hei own. No all s eps owa ds
his mus be aken wi hin he EU ame-
wo k, as he B i ish-F ench ini ia i e o
suppo Uk aine shows. Howe e , a ac i e
EU secu i y pa ne ships based on join in-
es men s and a s eng hening o Eu ope’s
own de ence indus y – coupled wi h he
expansion o ade ela ions – can se e as
a powe ul ins umen . This should also
make i possible o he EU and he Eu o-
pean pilla o NATO o a oid being played
o each o he in Eu ope’s secu i y a chi-
ec u e. Ins ead, he EU should endea ou
o combine i s s eng h in he in e nal
ma ke wi h e ec i e secu i y pa ne ships.
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SWP
S i ung Wissenscha und
Poli ik
Ge man Ins i u e o
In e na ional and
Secu i y A ai s
Ludwigki chpla z 3–4
10719 Be lin
Telephone +49 30 880 07-0
Fax +49 30 880 07-100
www.swp-be lin.o g
swp@swp-be lin.o g
ISSN (P in ) 1861-1761
ISSN (Online) 2747-5107
DOI: 10.18449/2025C29
(English e sion o
SWP-Ak uell 28/2025)
D Nicolai on Onda za is Head o he EU/Eu ope Resea ch Di ision a SWP.
