The Energy Security Leadership Council – Europe advises the European Initiative for Energy Security on promoting a sustainable, prosperous, and resilient energy future for Europe and allies. The letter’s signatories are Jaak Aaviksoo, former Estonian Defence Minister; Admiral Giampaolo DiPaola, (Ret.), former Chairman, NATO Military Committee; Jeppe Kofod, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Ukrenergo; former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark; Carlo Lazzarini, CEO of PWO AG; Joan MacNaughton, CB, former Chair of the IEA Governing Board; General Tom Middendorp (Ret.), Chair, International Military Council on Climate and Security; and former Netherlands Chief of Defence; Jannicke Nilsson, Executive Vice President Safety, Security & Sustainability, Equinor; Ambassador Andris Piebalgs, former EU Commissioner for Energy; General Sir Richard Shirreff, (Ret.) KCB, CBE; former NATO Deputy SACEUR; Ambassador Réka Szemerkényi, PhD, former Hungarian Ambassador to Washington; Julian Treger, President, CEO and Director, COTEC Holdings.

Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine and Washington’s new approach to European security have spurred important steps to rebuild Europe’s deterrence and defence. Delivering on this promise – and heeding the wake-up call from the recent Iberian blackout – demand an economic and energy strategy to match.

Many building blocks are in place. Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have moved to loosen fiscal restraints that have impeded German and European defence modernisation and stymied much-needed infrastructure improvements as well. June’s NATO Summit is expected to formalise a boost in Allied defence spending commitments. President Macron and other EU Member State leaders have shown leadership and innovative thinking, and UK Prime Minister Starmer has made clear Britain's commitment to European security. Last week’s EU-UK Summit made strides in aligning defence and security policies and took important steps on emissions markets, integrating electricity markets, and making the North Sea a central hub for offshore wind development.

These measures come none too soon. Europe already faced a Rubik’s cube of challenges beyond Ukraine: energy security, flagging competitiveness, Beijing’s domination over strategic material and technology supply chains, and hybrid attacks in Europe. Anticipating a second Trump administration, many European capitals were prepared to compromise with Washington. But few anticipated the Transatlantic “shock and awe” approach to tariffs and trade and European security writ large.  

The way forward will require a new transactional approach in which Europe too holds cards and exerts leverage, leading to a more pragmatic Transatlantic relationship. But for a strong and confident Europe to counter an unrepentant Russia, even with groundbreaking defence initiatives, will require a broader effort. To wit: sustained non-defence investment, innovation, and policies to meet an ongoing energy crisis and lost competitiveness in the face of China’s industrial challenge.  

This requires leadership, and an economic and security strategy such as Europe has never had. There is cause for optimism. Europe’s core institutions are helmed by experienced and newly empowered chiefs: von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Poland holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union and will be followed by Denmark. Both have shown strong leadership on security and Ukraine. 

Elements of a strategy are in place in recent EU initiatives like the Critical Materials Act, the Economic Security Strategy, and the recent Clean Industrial Deal and White Paper for European Defence. These share an ambition to unlock investment and create critical mass to restore innovation and competitiveness, rebuild manufacturing, deliver defence capability, strengthen raw material and clean technology supply chains, and secure critical energy infrastructure. All demonstrate a new realism in the face of increasing economic and security risks. 

Key for both commercial and military innovation will be bolstering R&D investment and, most important, generating outputs in strategic and disruptive technologies such as AI, quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, and next generation energy technology. Here the U.S. DARPA and the Energy Department’s National Labs are potential models.  

Secure energy – which in many capitals did not receive the attention it required until February 2022 – can become a core element of a revitalised Europe, as security concerns accelerate transformation. Almost 75 years ago, coal and steel were at the heart of the European Zeitenwende after WW II. France turned to nuclear energy after 1973 for increased energy independence. China has been ramping up domestic production capacity not to meet its climate commitments, but in search of energy and economic security. Today, similar considerations have been driving investment in offshore wind power in the North Sea.

In a world of 360-degree geopolitical challenges and trade shocks, domestic production has become a critical vector of security. Yet Europe depends heavily on imports from other parts of the world for most of the energy it consumes. It must now focus on domestic energy, friend-shoring, and using leverage in its relations with external suppliers. Electrification and digitalisation are decades-old trends that must be further accelerated as part of Europe’s quest for security. This will come at an initial cost – not a green but a security premium, which politicians and citizens alike should now be ready to pay for.  

Today’s geopolitical landscape, higher interest rates and constrained national budgets make this a challenging task but can lead to more efficient policy and allocation of public and private money towards resilient critical mineral supply chains, clean technology and secure infrastructure that will form the backbone of the European economy. After the lights went out in Spain and Portugal, it is clear that a real, modern European electricity grid, able to exchange and redirect electricity “real-time,” is fundamental to delivering resilient and affordable energy and rebuilding industrial competitiveness. The EU-UK Summit agreement on integrating electricity markets and linking emissions trading systems to improve efficiency are important steps toward greater integration, as is joint development of major offshore wind and transmission infrastructure projects.

Hanging over all these is the need for an outcome that contains the Russian threat and keeps Ukraine and its vast natural resources as part of Europe’s energy and critical materials solution. To get there, Europe must step up to its responsibilities: robust financial and military support, as well as finding ways to rebuild and integrate Ukrainian industry and agriculture. There is no Europe whole, free, and at peace without a secure and integrated Ukraine. 

These challenges are a call to action by Europe – leading to a new, positive identity and equally important but hitherto absent, the new sense of urgency the world has seen. The time is right and the pieces are in place for European politicians and industrial leaders to restore Europe’s strategic autonomy and leadership role in the world.

Download the letter.