Two years on since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and seventy-five years since NATO was founded, the balance of power in Europe is much more clear—and vastly different than during the Cold War. A reassessment of Europe's security policy and the U.S. military role in the region is overdue. Although overall European defense spending has increased since February 2022, NATO’s European members are still largely dependent on the United States for their defense. Movement toward strategic autonomy has been anemic. Washington, for its part, has shown little interest in shifting its defense burdens to Europe in order to focus elsewhere.

Could Europe defend itself without the United States? Should the United States shift more of the defense burden to its European allies? Can Europeans meet NATO requirements and boost their defense capabilities? What kind of threat does Russia pose to European security? What kind of strategy should the United States and Europe develop over the long term regarding Russia?