Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the intensifying global geopolitical competition have led the EU and its member states to prioritise the defence dimension of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). This shift has affected the EU’s external crisis management capabilities and priorities.
As a result, civilian and military CSDP missions and operations have become increasingly 1) linked to the EU’s defence and geopolitical interests, 2) smaller, more frugal and non-interventionist, and 3) platforms for delivering diverse EU security and defence assistance.
These changes allow the EU to respond more flexibly to the security and defence needs of partner countries, especially when these needs align with the EU’s own geopolitical interests.
However, the strong focus on state-centric security and defence support narrows the scope of EU crisis management and comes with risks: democratic oversight, accountability and the local legitimacy of partner governments and security forces cannot be taken for granted.
