The threat posed by Russia ‘remains immediate and severe’

European Movement UK was established by Sir Winston Churchill in 1949, to promote closer ties between the UK and European nations, and prevent the outbreak of a third world war.

Sir Nick Harvey, CEO of European Movement UK and former Armed Forces minister, said, “The threat posed by Russia in Eastern Europe remains immediate and severe.

But recent developments have highlighted another uncomfortable truth: the United States, while still an ally, is no longer predictable. The renewed attention paid to Greenland by Donald Trump should be understood in this context. It reflects a worldview in which territory is treated as an asset.

“That mindset is particularly concerning because the United States already enjoys extensive defence cooperation with Denmark and Greenland. Military access, intelligence sharing, and Arctic reach are firmly established. If that is deemed insufficient, then the issue is not European defence but strategic resource-focused ambition. The Arctic is fast becoming one of the most important regions in the world, as melting ice opens new shipping routes and exposes vast reserves of energy and critical minerals. Greenland sits at the heart of that transformation.

“For Europe, this should be a moment of clarity. Reliance on the assumption that allies will always share our priorities is no longer enough. Strategic autonomy does not mean isolation or hostility; it means resilience. It means ensuring that Europe can protect itself if political winds elsewhere change.

“This is why closer UK–EU defence and diplomatic cooperation is essential. Brexit altered institutional arrangements, but it did not change geography or shared risk.

The UK brings intelligence capabilities, military experience, and a nuclear deterrent. The EU brings economic scale, regulatory power, and coordinated sanctions. Together, these strengths reinforce one another. Apart, they leave gaps.

Security cooperation with our neighbours, and defence spending, has been somewhat abstract since the 90’s, something to be debated, weighed, or postponed. That era is over. In a world defined by instability and competition, Europe’s security is inseparable from Britain’s own.

“A stronger European role in defence does not mean turning our back on the special relationship or NATO; it strengthens it by making the alliance less dependent on the politics of any single capital. A threat to any state on the continent of Europe, even more so an EU member state and NATO signatory, must be treated as a direct threat to the UK.

“The global landscape is changing fast. Europe can either adapt together or face decline divided. If Britain wants to secure its future, it must play a full part in securing Europe’s. European defence is our defence, and acting together is now a matter of responsibility, not choice.”