Defense Policy

Russia’s war against Ukraine has forced Europe to rethink what defense means. At Café Kyiv, experts discussed how hybrid attacks target societies far beyond the battlefield - and why resilient democracies require comprehensive defense.

At February’s Munich Security Conference, Merz, Macron, von der Leyen and Co. testified to Europe's strength and independence. But concrete, independent strategies are often lacking. Europe now has the opportunity to play to its own strengths, including in the area of energy independence and sustainability.

Total Defence is a cornerstone of Singapore’s national security policy and practice. As a ‘Whole-of-nation’ framework, it has evolved to deal with the increasing complexity of national security risks and challenges.

Since joining NATO, Finland and Sweden have become capable NATO contributors, improving its presence in the Nordic-Baltic region and beyond. Despite this, they need to further integrate both their civil and national defence capacities.

Comprehensive defence is carried by society as a whole. A comparative examination of national comprehensive defence approaches within NATO offers valuable insights that are also relevant for planning processes in Germany.

Comprehensive defence encompasses both military and civil preparedness – both of which are inextricably linked. Yet the civilian side continues to lag behind. Three key areas of action show how Germany can close this gap in its security architecture.