As we approach five years after Russia’s full-scale invasion reshaped European security, the war in Ukraine has exposed both the resilience and the fault lines of the Western alliance. As NATO confronts its most consequential strategic moment since the Cold War, the question is no longer whether Europe can defend itself — but whether it has the will, the weapons, and the unity to do so. In this high-level session, panelists will examine the accelerating drive toward defense modernization across NATO’s Eastern Flank, the reorientation of European energy infrastructure away from Russian dependency, and the political sustainability of Western support for Kyiv. With alliance cohesion under pressure and defense spending commitments being tested, the panel will address a defining question for the transatlantic community: Is NATO being made stronger by this crisis, or is it being pulled apart by it?
General Dynamics is a programming sponsor for the 2026 Concordia Annual Summit.
