French Ambassador Philippe Étienne on the Meaning of European Defense

Since the 1950s, Americans and Europeans have struggled to reconcile different visions of European security. The roles of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United States, the European Union, and European states have all been debated. In recent years, French president Emmanuel Macron has pushed for a thorough discussion on the goals of NATO, and a vision for European Defense, while emphasizing that France views strategic autonomy and NATO as complementary—an expression that has been endorsed by the United States, as seen in the France-U.S. joint statements of September 22 and October 29.

What is the French vision for European Defense? In an era when American attention is turning to Asia, if European states increase their capabilities, defense budgets, and missions, would the United States be more likely to decrease its presence in Europe, or would it make the European Union more credible in the eyes of the American leadership? Please join us for remarks from France’s ambassador to the United States, Philippe Étienne, followed by a panel featuring leading scholars of transatlantic relations.

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