PANEL 2: Europe under Double Strategic Pressure // Budapest Energy and Security Talks 2026

PANEL 2 - Europe under Double Strategic Pressure – From Russia’s Attacks to Europe’s Critical Infrastructure to the Impact of the 5%: A New Europe, a Washington-aligned Europe, a Europe with Allies-Other-than-the-US, or the End of the Union? Keynote Speakers: Klára Breuer, State Secretary for Bilateral Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary Marcin Bosacki, State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland Sebastian Hartmann, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Defence of Germany Speakers: Daniel Fried, Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow, Atlantic Council; Former US Ambassador to Poland Tomi Huhtanen, Executive Director, Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies Nico Lange, Founder and Director, Institute for Risk analysis and International Security, IRIS Philip Reeker, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Europe; Distinguished Fellow for Europe and Transatlantic Relations, Wilson Center; Senior Advisor with DGA-Albright Stonebridge Group Moderator: Amb. Réka Szemerkényi, Director of International Affairs, Equilibrium Institute; Former Ambassador of Hungary to the United States Key Questions: With a sudden twist in its history, Europe finds itself under double strategic pressures, one from the East (Russia), and one from the West (the USA). While the US is into a quick win trying to get rid of the burden of the Allies, Russia is playing the long game in working on exhausting the European strategic will. There are many signs of an unconventional war going on in European territory: While challenging Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) is an integral part of Russian military doctrine, Europe's vulnerability to this — driven by a lack of strategy and investment — is deeply concerning. What needs to be done for Europe to be able to emerge as a new international actor? Is the 5% defense spending leading Europe to become a strategic player with a defense identity in its own right or is it more a promise to appease Washington while hoping to contain Russia? Do these multiple pressures help Europe to prepare to defend itself in a next war against the continent, or do they weaken Europe to the extreme of abandoning the European construction? Will the double pressures be contributing to turning Europe into a strategic actor, capable of cooperating with partner mid-size powers, or will they be ultimately resulting in the end of Europe as we know it? ---------------------------- 🌏The Equilibrium Institute hosted the 2026 edition of its annual Budapest Energy and Security Talks!🌏 BeSTalks has by now become the leading international platform for strategic thinking in Hungary. Its aim is to create a lasting forum that brings the key representatives of the international foreign, security and energy policy community to Budapest and provides them with direct dialogue with Hungarian decision-makers, experts, analysts and researchers. The BeSTalks connects hundreds of experts and decision-makers with the goal of making Hungary an active shaper of the Euro-Atlantic strategic dialogue that defines the Central and Eastern European region. 🗓️ Explore the full programme and meet the speakers here: https://best.eib.hu/ 🌐Follow us on other social media platforms! Facebook: Facebook: egyensulyintezet LinkedIn: LinkedIn: equilibrium-institute1 #BESTALKS2026 #BudapestEnergyandSecurityTalks #EquilibriumInstitute