Contemporary Europe at the intersection of Washington and Brussels

The political dilemma faced by leading European countries – between “transatlantic commitment” and the pursuit of Europe’s “strategic autonomy” is analyzed. Amid growing centrifugal tendencies within NATO and the formation of coalitions on security issues within the EU, a qualitatively new configuration is emerging within the “strategic triangle” of Russia–United States–Europe. This process is less of the establishment of a new security architecture and more of the search for institutional forms capable of adapting to the rapidly evolving nature of US–Russia relations and transatlantic cooperation. Against this backdrop, proposals for the creation of an alternative military configuration outside of NATO remain largely a political and symbolic tool for intra-EU mobilization rather than a practically feasible initiative. Particular attention is paid to the policies of key European actors – France, Germany, Finland, the Baltic States, and Poland – whose approaches to military development and relations with the United States are marked by increasing polarization.