Europe is neither able to solve its own domestic crises nor is really a serious actor in its neighborhoods, where the EU is topping up its approach also in terms of security and stronger presence, like for instance in the South Caucasus, and being able to invest also seriously in infrastructure. Stefan Meister from German Council on Foreign Relations stated this on the air of Armenian News-NEWS.am's Strength Factor program.

Europe is in the midst of a series of political crises, and right-wing forces are becoming more and more popular. What does it mean for European Union and how could it change its policy?

I think we already see what it means and I think this is first of all about the ability of the EU to unite on key issues, really being ahead and driving forward some strategic approaches also in the Black Sea, on Ukraine, but also on the South Caucasus. So, we see growing split among the member states։ We see also right-wing spoilering EU policy, sometimes are even align also with Russian politics, distributing also Russian disinformation. It undermines the ability of the EU to be more strategic in its neighborhood. I think that is maybe the biggest threat that we are neither able to solve our own domestic crises like economic situation, migration, which is a big issue, nor we are really a serious actor in our neighborhoods, where the EU is topping up its approach also in terms of security and stronger presence, like for instance in the South Caucasus, and being able to invest also seriously in infrastructure. So I think it's really about EU's ability to adapt to a new reality in its environment, but then also this ability to really have a strategic policy.

What does Trump's presidency mean for the European countries: not only in the context of Ukraine and possible developments related with the future of Ukraine, but in general, in wider context as well?

I think there are several elements. The first one is the liberal order is now finally ending. I think the US -the country who has built after World War liberal democracy in the world and was a guarantor also of this order - is now destroying the rest of this liberal order. This impacts also transatlantic relations, because Europe was progressing and developing in this institutional framework. Trump tries also to split European countries, to divide them on specific issues to gain some benefits from Europe in terms of more spending on security, trade, maybe also technology. But I also would have one positive element։ I think Europe really needs pressure to unite։ It really needs to be challenged, to be more active and to do the necessary it has to do internally and externally. Trump can put Europe really under pressure also to unite more on some policies, because without this Europe would be more and more lost and divided. This is maybe a unique opportunity to also unite Europe and be more forceful in some policy areas.

What do you think, can Trump's actions make the European countries to develop their military capabilities and raise the level of sovereignty?

I think there is an understanding that Europe needs to become sovereign in terms of its own security needs to become less dependent on the US, because the US will not supply anymore this security support like in the past. We just recently had a speech of the very likely new German chancellor. We have election in the end of February, and Friedrich Merz from the conservative party who was making clear that investment in European security, willingness of Germany to go also on depths in increasing massively our spending on security is a part of his program. There is a higher willingness for the very likely incoming German Chancellor to lead more on this issue and to develop a strategic autonomy also of Europe in many areas. I think he still talked also about importance of trans-atlantic relations, but we will have seen more autonomous Europe in many sectors in the next years.