The Union, the Star and the Eagle: EU-NATO cooperation under Trump 2.0
fanny.pollet@i…
Tue, 03/10/2026 – 11:23
9 minutes
The EU and NATO are often called ‘essential’ or ‘indispensable’ partners(1). The two institutions share 23 member states, face the same security challenges and would play key roles in the event of an attack on European territory. Their partnership has deepened in recent years, especially since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As Europeans seek to assume greater responsibility for defending the continent, cooperation has become even more urgent.
At the same time, enduring obstacles like differences in membership have limited cooperation, leaving the relationship largely confined to the technical level and producing uneven progress across policy areas. Recurrent transatlantic tensions since Trump’s return to the White House – such as the crisis over Greenland in January 2026 – also cloud the partnership’s future.
This Brief reviews the state of EU–NATO relations. It examines the areas of positive cooperation and analyses both longstanding and emerging frictions. Moving the partnership forward would benefit European security, but the …read more
