I first attended the Warsaw Security Forum in 2018 as a New Security Leader, which was an immensely enriching experience that broadened my understanding of the field of security and defence.

This year, I was honoured to return as a speaker. We, at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, have co-organised a closed-door, high-level roundtable discussion entitled “The Next Chapter in EU Security Partnerships: NATO, Bilateral and Beyond’.

We were honoured to have Andrius Kubilius, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, deliver an inspiring keynote speech entitled ‘Turning Strategy into Strength: The EU’s Defence Roadmap”.

The discussion brought together a remarkable group of leaders and experts, including: Marcos Perestrello, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly;
Michał Szczerba, Member of the European Parliament and Rapporteur for EU Defence and Security Partnerships; Delphine Pronk, Chair of the Political and Security Committee of the European External Action Service; Pierre Heilbronn, Special Envoy for Ukraine’s Relief and Reconstruction at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs; Oleg Shymanskyi, Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs in Ukraine; Elena Lazarou, Director General of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy; Herald Ruijters, Deputy Director General and Head of the SAFE Instrument Task Force at the European Commission. Marcin Bużański, Director of the Centre for Diplomacy and Negotiation at Civitas University, did an amazing job moderating such a high-level panel.

In my intervention, I focused on recent shifts and challenges in transatlantic relations, particularly the evolving US–EU partnership.

The Warsaw Security Forum once again provided an exceptional platform for exchanging ideas, reconnecting with colleagues and friends, and reflecting on the future of European and transatlantic security. Over the years, it has truly become one of the most influential security events in Central and Eastern Europe.

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