Securing Europe: Responding to Hybrid Threats Amid a Defense Resurgence

By Joen Martinsen

Europe’s security landscape has undergone profound changes in the early months of 2025. Provocative remarks from the new U.S. administration—such as Trump’s assertion that Ukraine should never have started the war—and high-profile events like President Zelensky’s visit to the Oval Office and JD Vance’s stirring speech at the Munich Conference have intensified these shifts. At the same time, U.S. officials have amplified Russian disinformation and repeatedly threatened to withdraw critical military and nuclear resources from Europe. Rather than simply expressing indifference to European concerns, the current U.S. leadership appears intent on reshaping the continent—sowing internal divisions, influencing elections, and igniting culture wars—in pursuit of individual bilateral deals rather than a united European alliance. This approach, eerily reminiscent of Russian tactics, is sending shock waves through the post–World War II European security order and has sparked calls for a new era of European defense.

With the U.S. President repeatedly questioning America’s commitment to NATO’s security guarantees, European leaders are now forced to ask: Can Europe continue to rely on American protection in an era of shifting alliances? The challenge is not limited to traditional military threats; modern warfare presents a complex array of dangers—from cyberattacks and the sabotage of critical infrastructures like internet submarine cables to the disruption of navigation and communication systems such as GPS. Public support for increased military spending and deeper European defense cooperation is high today, but as the sense of immediate crisis fades, so too might that support.

Therefore, European leaders must act decisively—not only by bolstering military capacity but by integrating systems, strategies, and policies to address the multifaceted threats they face. Hybrid threats, which blur the lines between military and non-military aggression, pose an escalating risk. Europe must develop coordinated, proactive responses that cover everything from safeguarding its digital and energy infrastructures to countering disinformation campaigns. Despite the continent’s robust interconnectivity, the absence of a unified strategy to protect these assets leaves Europe vulnerable. The time has come for a comprehensive European approach to defense—one that ensures rapid, coordinated action against the emerging grey zone threats of the 21st century.

The USAID Shutdown: Impacts and Questions

By Joen Martinsen and Pascaline Gaborit

In a sweeping effort to slash the U.S. budget deficit, the Trump administration, along with the unofficial Department of Government Expenditure (DOGE) led by Elon Musk, has moved to dismantle USAID—placing nearly all employees on leave and freezing foreign aid programs. In an unprecedented act of executive overreach, security personnel blocked agency staff from accessing their offices, plunging billions in foreign aid into uncertainty and bringing critical humanitarian efforts to an abrupt halt.

A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order, ruling that the dissolution of USAID contradicts the Constitution and falls within the Congress' authority. However, the dismantling remains in effect pending a final court decision. Having already relied on disinformation to justify the move, the administration’s actions pose a pressing question: what are the limits of Disinformation-Driven Governance?

DeepSeek AI Model : Opportunity or Risk?

By Joen Martinsen and Pascaline Gaborit

DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot, has rapidly gained traction, becoming the most downloaded free app in the U.S. shortly after its launch. Its R1 model, now open-source, claims to rival OpenAI’s O1 model in performance.
What sets DeepSeek apart is its lean budget—the development team asserts they achieved this milestone with less than $6 million, a fraction of the billions invested in AI by U.S. tech giants like OpenAI. A key factor in this breakthrough is its reliance on Nvidia H800 chips, which operate with reduced capacity, avoiding dependency on high-end Nvidia A100 chips, restricted due to U.S. export bans.
For perspective, OpenAI was founded a decade ago, employs 4,500 people, and has secured $6.6 billion in funding. In contrast, DeepSeek, established less than two years ago, operates with just 200 employees and was developed with a budget of under $10 million .

Does DeepSeek signal a new era of AI innovation or raise concerns over competition, security, and regulation?.

This accomplishment reflects broader implications in the global AI race, especially as the U.S. has implemented strict export controls targeting China’s access to advanced semiconductor. Restrictions include export bans on chips and chipmaking equipment since October 2023, and a first-of-its-kind prohibition on U.S. persons aiding Chinese chip development without a license. These measures aim to limit China's advancements in both AI and military modernization, and for the U.S to maintain technological supremacy. However, DeepSeek’s breakthroughs demonstrate that resourceful methods can counter such constraints, potentially diminishing the effectiveness of U.S. policies. While this raises questions about America's long-term strategic position, it also emphasizes the potential for less resource-intensive, climate-friendly AI innovations. This could be an opportunity for other companies to imitate this success, and this could be especially true as the developed system is shaped with open access .
DeepSeek-R1 is indeed an open-source AI model. The company has released it under the MIT license, ensuring clear open access for the community to utilize and build upon its model weights and outputs. This open-source approach allows developers worldwide to modify and integrate the model into various applications, promoting innovation and collaboration in the AI community. Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, has commented on DeepSeek's significance. In a recent op-ed, he stated that DeepSeek's emergence marks "a turning point" in the global AI race.