Rebuilding Europe's defences : how to unlock a coordinated defence surge

European security is in danger. Despite some successes, overall progress in strengthening defences has been slow. Europeans still face critical shortfalls in areas such as long-range strike, air defence, intelligence and surveillance. Without more coordination, Europeans will waste much of their growing defence investments. From planning to procurement, they should embrace more pragmatic solutions. Harnessing the power of small-group cooperation offers a promising path forward to fill capability gaps, while deeper industrial ties with Ukraine will allow Europeans to draw on its experience. The EU can play an important role in enabling a European defence surge, by unlocking additional funding and reinforcing cooperation. The effectiveness of EU instruments depends largely on the degree to which they focus on capability priorities and allow close partners to plug in.