Europe must quickly acknowledge a "new reality" in which it must "take responsibility for its own security," Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal said at the Washington edition of the Aspen Security Forum.
- "After decades of sleep," he added, "hesitation is a luxury Europe cannot afford."
Why it matters: The appeal comes directly from the front lines of war with Russia — a country already sabotaging projects across Europe — and amid uneasy transatlantic attitudes.
- Both Kyiv and Brussels have felt the whiplash of America's security-aid rollercoaster.
Context: Chatter of European rearmament gained significant steam this year. Four factors worth considering:
- Defense-tech investments and advancements, like Helsing's factory in southern Germany and the rollout of its CA-1 Europa drone wingman.
- Renewed nuclear weapons debates in France and Poland, among other locales.
- New NATO spending agreements, including a spinoff for critical infrastructure.
- The Trump administration's latest national security strategy, which was applauded by Moscow.
The bottom line: "We are living in an era that historians will later call an order transition: a shift from one world order to another. Such transitions are rare; they happen once every 30-50 years, and they are never smooth," Shmyhal said.
- "Russia has fully mobilized its war machine. And make no mistake, the Kremlin is not just testing Ukraine. The Kremlin is testing Europe and the West."
Go deeper: Trump's new cold war with Europe
