Episode 62: Can Europe Handle Russia Without America’s Help?

Europe stands at a turning point. For decades, the continent has relied on the United States for its security umbrella—but as Washington’s attention drifts and Russia grows more aggressive, that balance is cracking. Can the European Union act as a true geopolitical power, or is it still tethered to American leadership?

Our guest, Veronica Anghel, leads the Global Risks to the EU project at the Robert Schuman Centre of the European University Institute, where she also co-directs the European Governance and Politics Programme. She’s the coauthor of Europe’s Delayed Reckoning With Russia in Foreign Affairs, an essay that argues the EU must confront Moscow on its own terms rather than waiting for U.S. direction. In this episode, Anghel explains how Europe’s “consensus-based” decision-making limits its speed but strengthens its unity once action is taken—a system built for durability, not reaction.

The conversation dives into NATO’s fractures, the politics of deterrence, and the uneasy truth about transatlantic dependency. Can Europe truly handle Russia without America’s help—or will the next crisis prove that independence remains more aspiration than reality?

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