The Alaska Summit signals a revival of major power coordination, with Europe determined not to forsake the peace dividends it has accrued over the decades. Seasoned by centuries of geopolitical maneuvering, European powers are poised to actively shape their own destinies rather than succumb to the will of others.

The European Union’s ongoing pursuit of an economy-first strategy continues to encounter significant obstacles, especially the erosion of its economic autonomy resulting from the strategic concessions it has made to the United States.

The EU and U.S. have agreed to a tactical cease-fire, not a strategic settlement. As long as Europe pursues strategic autonomy and Washington replaces rules-based multilateralism with transactional deals, fresh disputes are inevitable.

After reaching a consensus in their tariff negotiations in Geneva, China and the United States have significantly reduced their duties on each other. This has awakened countries around the world and inspired them to launch a new wave of regional integration.

For China-EU relations to develop into a stable, mutually beneficial partnership, the EU must undertake a more profound reassessment of its perception of China’s rise and the evolving dynamics of economic competition.

The EU’s pursuit of becoming an autonomous and influential global power, while balancing relationships with the U.S. and China, was jolted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The EU aims to collaborate and compete as an equal with both powers, while improving its domestic strength, ensuring reciprocity, and linking trade to geopolitics, foreign policy, and security. And the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, executing the EU strategy in Asia and the Indo-Pacific, and establishing a collective defense structure with operational objectives, are three projects that could help achieve these goals.

The Russia-Ukraine war has shaken Europe’s energy security, triggering major adjustments in supply chains, consumption and renewable energy development. The conflict and its spillover effects suggest that a new economic cold war may already be underway.

Europe’s trade relationship with the Indo-Pacific region is the highest valued of any in existence, and yet its leaders are moving surprisingly slow when it comes to their announced ambitions in the region. This is partially due to geopolitical concerns as tensions mount between China and the U.S.

America’s professed commitment to the WTO is suspect: What it really wants is to reshape the organization in its own image. By rejecting the WTO ruling against it, the U.S. is putting the teetering trade body at risk.

Alienating Russia will not increase stability for Europe, nor will Russia disappear as a result of the Ukraine war. But Russia’s old power model — needlessly using force to punish countries for switching sides — needs to change.