“2025 is Pivotal for Transatlantic Relations: New Security Challenges Require a New Security Architecture”
May 8, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. The end of World War II ushered in a period of relative peace in Europe, global democratization, and economic integration, as well as the establishment of robust international institutions. This was the last time the United States won an armed conflict definitively, and conflict now looks a lot different than it did back then.
Today we face a new security landscape. Land warfare has returned to Europe, faith in longstanding political structures seems to be in retreat, economic protectionism is on the rise, and strong multilateral institutions appear to be relics of the past. Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, China’s coercive economic behavior, and a growing axis of autocratic states raise an essential question for us: What is the meaning of war and peace today? As we see new governments in the United States and Germany and a new European Commission, political leaders will face the task of developing a new strategic identity adapted to the new security environment.
This challenge comes at a pivotal moment for the Western industrialized world: We are confronted both with emerging external threats and struggles within our societies. With the German-American Conference 2025, we provide a platform for strategic discussions about the challenges of a new era in transatlantic relations.