Munich Security Conference Hosts Roundtable on European Defense During Swedish Almedalen Week

The Roundtable brought together around 40 high-level decision-makers, business representatives, and think tankers to discuss the implications of Russia’s war on Ukraine for the future of defense cooperation within and between the European Union and NATO.

The MSC’s European Defense Roundtable kicked off with an evening reception and panel discussion aboard the German corvette Erfurt, which had sailed to Visby for the occasion. The panel discussion focused on drawing “Battlefield Lessons from Ukraine”. Participants agreed that Russia’s combination of attrition warfare and hybrid tactics highlights the need for both scale and innovation. The panelists underlined the importance of drones, data connectivity, and space-based assets for Ukraine’s armed forces. The resilience, commitment, and creativity of Ukraine’s society at large was seen as key for its military successes. The panelists also discussed the lessons of Ukraine’s societal resilience as well as the Nordic “total defense” model for other countries. They stressed the importance of a sound communication strategy, educational efforts to increase media literacy, and measures to increase trust in institutions.

The following day started with the launch of the MSC’s special edition of the Munich Security Report on European defense, titled “Defense Sitters: Transforming European Militaries in Times of War.” The report argues that European defense is stuck on the fence between the status quo ante and the real transformation that the current Zeitenwende requires. The editors of the report, Nicole Koenig and Leonard Schütte, presented the main findings and its five recommendations on how to “come off de fence.” The subsequent discussion highlighted some of the obstacles to deeper European defense cooperation, namely the prevalence of national sovereignty concerns over efficient cooperation, the lack of mutual trust, and the tension between the need for speed and the longer-term consolidation of Europe’s defense industrial base.

The report launch was followed by a first roundtable discussion on the obstacles that Europe’s defense industry and militaries face when developing, producing, and acquiring new capabilities in the context of Russia’s war on Ukraine. There was broad agreement among participants on the need for greater standardization, notably regarding ammunition. Participants also agreed on the importance of the security of supply and the need to jointly address relevant bottlenecks. However, views also diverged on the future of European industrial cooperation. While some participants stressed the importance of compatible software solutions as key enablers for interoperability, others considered greater standardization of platforms a priority, not least due to their superior cost. Participants also held different views regarding the right balance between defense industrial consolidation and competition. While many highlighted the potential cost savings related to consolidation, others saw competition as an element of resilience and a driver of innovation.

The second roundtable focused on defense cooperation within NATO and expectations regarding the Vilnius summit. The participants voiced clear support for Sweden’s accession to NATO. Some warned that a failure to grant Sweden membership in Vilnius would weaken the Alliance. The participants also stressed the importance of decisive implementation of NATO’s new force model and of its forthcoming regional defense plans. They engaged in a candid discussion on security guarantees for Ukraine and the possibility of NATO accession. The participants agreed on the importance of sending a clear political signal to Ukraine that the Allies stand ready to ensure its long-term security. Many participants also expressed support for admitting Ukraine to NATO in the longer term. However, many questions remained open on how this can be achieved in the context of Russia’s ongoing attack against Ukraine.

Visby’s Saint Nicolai Church Ruin served as the venue for the MSC’s public panel discussion on Sweden’s role in European defense that was part of the Almedalen Week’s official program. In his opening speech, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson underlined his country’s support to Ukraine and declared its willingness to contribute to NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) and Baltic Air Policing missions. His speech was followed by a high-ranking panel discussion between Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson, Foreign Minister Tobias Billström, the newly elected Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Finnish Parliament Tytti Tuppurainen, CEO of Saab AB Micael Johansson, and the Atlantic Council’s Director for Northern Europe Anna Wieslander. The discussion underlined Sweden’s readiness to add value to NATO, for example by providing strategic depth in the High North. The panelists also engaged with the audience, which posed questions about recent developments in Russia and Ukraine as well as about the prospects for Sweden’s NATO accession. MSC Chairman Ambassador Christoph Heusgen closed the event by stressing the importance of further public discussions on Europe’s security challenges. The public event was live streamed and its recording can be accessed on our website.