Europe and the United States face many external threats, yet the biggest one may lie within. Strategic Europe’s editor in chief reflects on the lessons of 2024 and examines how transatlantic partners can secure their future.

The United States has not really underwritten European security for decades. No matter what happens next, European defense depends on Europeans themselves.

As the year draws to a close, experts reflect on the positives of 2024 and share their concerns for 2025.*

AI models enable malicious actors to manipulate information and disrupt electoral processes, threatening democracies. Tackling these challenges requires a comprehensive approach that combines technical solutions and societal efforts.

The incoming Trump administration plans to focus on China while letting Europe fend for itself. Yet deprioritizing the transatlantic relationship could backfire, pushing Europe closer to Beijing and undermining U.S. interests in the long term.

As the contest between China and the United States ramps up and Russia becomes ever more emboldened in its attacks on European infrastructure, Europeans must invest more to leverage their existing advantages in this realm and protect the competitiveness, resilience, and security of their subsea cable infrastructure.