Russia’s military buildup along Ukraine’s border has prompted a coherent response from NATO and exposed the disunity of the EU. Without a clear policy toward its eastern neighbors and Moscow, the union cannot meet today’s geopolitical challenges.
They don’t like to admit it. But there is an unnecessary rivalry between NATO and the European Union. NATO is a military, defensive organization. The EU is an economic and political one with vast resources to make a difference to its own members and to its neighbors. Both organizations can complement each other, with NATO focusing on military operations and the EU on civilian missions. They don’t.