AUTONOMIE STRATEGICĂ ÎN ERA COMPETIȚIEI SISTEMICE: ARHITECTURA EUROPEANĂ DE APĂRARE ÎNTRE REARM EUROPE ŞI READINESS 2030
STRATEGIC AUTONOMY IN THE AGE OF SYSTEMIC COMPETITION: EUROPE’S DEFENCE ARCHITECTURE BETWEEN REARM EUROPE AND READINESS 2030

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the strategic reconfiguration of the European Union’s defence posture in the aftermath of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the shifting orientation of the United States under the Trump administration. It argues that the combined framework of ReArm Europe and Readiness 2030 constitutes the most ambitious attempt since the end of the Cold War to redefine Europe’s role within the transatlantic security architecture. While Readiness 2030 operates as a doctrinal and normative blueprint – identifying critical capability gaps, outlining priority domains, and legitimising a shift towards anticipatory defence – ReArm Europe provides the financial and institutional mechanisms necessary to operationalise these objectives through common procurement, industrial integration, and an emerging defence market. The analysis demonstrates that together, these initiatives articulate a new understanding of European strategic autonomy, not as a departure from NATO but as a complementary capacity-building project that strengthens the European pillar of the Alliance. The article highlights the structural pressures generated by systemic rivalry with China, the volatility of US commitments, and the intensification of hybrid threats, arguing that the EU is transitioning from a reactive security model to one grounded in foresight, resilience, and credible deterrence. Ultimately, ReArm Europe and Readiness 2030 amount to a fundamental recalibration of Europe’s strategic identity and its ability to act as a geopolitical agent in an increasingly contested international order.

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