PARIS ¨C For decades, much of Europe viewed military engagement through the lens of NATO or the European Union, since these structures have long shaped how Europeans thought about conflict, deterrence and security. But the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have exposed the limits of this approach.
With cracks appearing in traditional alliances, new coalitions of the willing, partnerships and security guarantees for countries outside established strategic frameworks are giving rise to a cat¡¯s-cradle architecture of European security.
Ukraine illustrates this evolution most clearly. Instead of entering a formal alliance with Ukraine, Europeans have spun an intricate web of treaties and commitments offering varying degrees of reassurance and financing. Together, more than 20 bilateral security agreements have codified military support to Ukraine and established a ¡°coalition of the willing¡± that will contribute to that country¡¯s security after a ceasefire.
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