War has come back to Europe just as the world’s centre of gravity was shifting from Europe to Asia. If today’s focus is on supporting Ukraine’s fight to resist the Russian invasion, long-term concerns for European security remain centred in Asia. It is past time for Europe to discuss whether to step up its economic and strategic presence in Asia, especially the Indo-Pacific region; the urgent challenge is to figure out how such a game will be played. The activism of AUKUS and QUAD (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) members has forced the EU to quickly develop a complete strategy towards the region encompassing its relationship with emerging countries in ASEAN, the US, China and Japan. Is the Joint Communication enough or are more steps needed? How can European national and communitarian interests be made to coexist? And what can Russia’s invasion of Ukraine teach us about the new order in the making in the Indo-Pacific region?
ISPI
