The War in Ukraine and Future Development of the EU Common Security and Defense Policy

Abstract

The war in Ukraine has been a warning for European countries, alerting them to the fact that defense issues are again relevant. The current framework of the European Union Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) is not appropriate for the new strategic situation. Despite the notable CSDP successes, the key CSDP problems persist. Those unresolved issues are impeding the further CSDP development. There is a need for a complete overview and overhaul of the CSDP. Based on the mentioned issues, the paper analyzes the possible future development of the CSDP, emphasizing the search for answers to two key questions: what is the objective of the CSDP and how the EU should strengthen the defense of Europe?