Trump’s shattering of the global defence consensus proves Europe MUST be united and independent

The document, released to coincide with the start of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) this week, suggests the West is going through a period of wrecking ball politics - where ‘demolition men’ with a ‘lust for destruction’ seek to break up alliances, precedents and norms.

So what should one do in the face of the demolition men and their wrecking balls, intent on tearing things down? To my mind, the only path forward is to build.

The US’ withdrawal from (and in some cases antagonism towards) European defence should act as the perfect wake up call. Europe must become stronger and more independent on the world stage, and more united within, building both infrastructure and alliances.

What some characterise as the destruction of the existing Western order comes at a time of unprecedented external threat; Russia gaining strategic initiative in Ukraine; China seeking regional dominance and global trade threatened and disrupted by hostile actors.

Luckily, Europe is already making great strides. On defence, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s ‘defence road map’ is an ambitious and modern plan for independently protecting Europe, incorporating traditional land and air defence while expanding further into drone and space defence.

Moreover, the EU’s re-armament scheme, known as S.A.F.E. (Security Action for Europe), is also a significant move. It will see the European Union borrow £78bn to spend on ammunition, artillery and attack drones.

But in many areas Europe is still playing catch-up, trying to compensate for complacency and fill a hole left by the US. More needs to be done to meet the moment. Red tape is still an issue when it comes to innovation on a battlefield that evolves at a blistering pace, and supply chains are still heavily reliant on China.

Front Ventures, as the name suggests, invests in frontline Ukrainian defence technologies. Through this and my time as a technical officer in the Swedish military, I’ve seen first-hand what’s needed to improve innovation on the frontline and to bolster defence across Europe. The approach needs to be holistic, from investment in materials and energetics, to a strong operational presence on the battlefield.

And while continental strength is one thing, unity is also essential. In the face of such destructive diplomacy across the world, a united Europe sends a powerful message. That means bringing the UK back into the fold.

It’s for this reason that I believe that the EU should lower the barrier for entry for the UK to join it’s rearmament fund, the S.A.F.E scheme. Some European countries, in particular France, have been against it, instead suggesting that the UK pays a significant fee to join the scheme.

Keeping the cost of UK participation in SAFE artificially high risks undermining Europe’s own defence objectives. Europe cannot build credible defence capabilities at the necessary speed without involvement from the UK, one of Europe’s deepest pools of defence capital, technical talent and procurement expertise.

I’ve seen first-hand how Ukrainian companies have achieved years of innovation in months under the pressure of war. Bringing those technologies into the wider European ecosystem requires partners who understand rapid testing and industrialisation - areas where the UK has real strength.

And when it comes to France’s concern around protecting domestic industry; limiting UK participation does not do that; it slows it down. The UK’s recent launch of a dedicated defence business centre to accelerate industrial support for Ukraine shows exactly the kind of practical, delivery-focused infrastructure Europe should be amplifying, not excluding.

At last year's Munich Security Conference, the US Vice-President JD Vance launched a shocking broadside at Europe, accusing the continent of attacks on free speech and ‘civilizational erasure’.

While he will not be in attendance this year, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be.

Rather than succumbing to the message of doom and ‘erasure’ that the US administration has previously touted, Rubio should be met with a strong, secure and united Europe.

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Jonas Malmgren is the CEO of defence-focused investor Front Ventures. He is also a former technical officer in the Swedish Armed Forces.

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