- January 13, 2026
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- January 13, 2026
Russia’s war against Ukraine has entered its fourth year. Drones disrupt operations at German airports; cyberattacks target critical infrastructure; undersea cables and data flows are exposed to acts of sabotage. At the same time, instability in the Middle East is further aggravating the global security environment. Looming over all of this is the question of how reliable transatlantic security guarantees will remain in 2026.
Germany’s security environment has fundamentally changed – and the risks are increasing. The event “Situation Report 2026: A Security Policy Outlook for Germany and Europe” took these developments as a starting point to assess the state of German and European security. At its core was the question of how prepared Germany and the EU truly are for the security challenges of 2026 – militarily, politically, technologically, and societally. The discussion focused on resilience and vulnerabilities of German and European structures, geopolitical risks and their direct impact on Europe, the state and future of European defense capabilities, the future of the transatlantic security partnership, policy options, and priorities that must be set in 2026.
In typical Aspen format, the event combined a high-level panel with interactive elements that involved the audience in the analysis. The panel was joined by Margarete Jacob, Leiterin des Referates “Grundsatzfragen der Verteidigungs- und Sicherheitspolitik, Atlantisches Bündnis, bilaterale sicherheitspolitische Konsultationen“, German Federal Foreign Office; Dr. Markus Kaim, Leiter des Referates “Forschung, Innovation, wissenschaftliche Politikberatung“, Federal Ministry of Finance; Dr. Stephanie Willmann, Country Executive Germany, Northrop Grumman; and Markus Woelke, Botschaftsrat Erster Klasse, Vizepräsident, Bundesakademie für Sicherheit. The aim was to develop a shared, fact-based, and realistic assessment of the situation that would provide guidance for a year in which security policy decisions will be particularly far-reaching.
The event took place under Chatham House Rule on January 13.
