institute of europe
the institute of europe of the russian academy of sciences
Analytical paper IE RAS No 35, 2025 «EU Defense Readiness: Strategic Planning and Prospects»
- 17 November 2025
IE RAS presents Analytical papers of IE RAS No 35, 2025 «EU Defense Readiness: Strategic Planning and Prospects» (in Russian) by Dmitry Danilov, Candidate of Science (Economics), Leading Researcher, Head of the Department of European Security Studies, Institute of Europe, Russian Academy of Sciences.
The author analyzes the EU's conceptual military-political framework, documented in the EU White Paper on Defense Preparedness. The text of the adopted document lacks comprehensive analysis of challenges and threats and does not meet the criteria of a realistic strategic concept for forging a «genuine defense union». The EU views its strategic perspective through the prism of Ukrainian conflict and ability for collective response to the «existential Russian challenge». Defense development guidelines and programs aimed at containing Russia create persistent confrontational dynamics in the military-political situation in Europe and increase military danger and risks associated with the EU's course toward accelerated militarization.
