About the Europe Program

About the Program

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 upended the security order in Europe. The attack reenergized NATO after a period of drift and prompted Finland and Sweden, two traditionally neutral states, to seek membership. Germany, Europe’s largest economy and long a laggard when it comes to defense spending, decided to double its annual defense spending. In an historic first, the European Union (EU) is financing and sending arms to Ukraine, while it is also levying crippling sanctions against Russia. Leaders and citizens across Europe fear the war in Ukraine might expand, and they seek to come to terms with what promises to be an enduring Russian challenge to Europe’s security order.

The threat of a broader war comes at a time of internal stresses across Europe. Populism continues to challenge the established political order in many countries. Brussels struggles with democratic backsliding in Poland and Hungary. Uneven economic growth across the continent strains the unity of the EU, and Britain seeks to chart a new economic course now that it has left the world’s largest single market area.

The Europe program seeks to provide incisive analysis of political, economic, and social developments across the continent with an eye toward explaining their implications for transatlantic relations and world affairs.  The program does so through publications, meetings, congressional testimony, and briefings for policymakers and opinion leaders.