We should bury the dream of a common European security policy: the new idea of a 'First Entry Force', the vague notion of strategic autonomy, and so forth.
Dreaming in today's world is dangerous. It prevents countries from seeing threats clearly and getting to understand that they will face the consequences if they do not take their responsibility.
I expect optimists now to start about glasses that are half-full, or different crises making Europe's common security identity strong...
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Jonathan Holslag teaches international politics at the Free University Brussels and guest lectures at the NATO Defense College. His latest book is World Politics since 1989 (Polity, September 2021).