Panel VIII, titled “Security Perspectives for 2026: Possible Developments” moderated by Mr. Radu Tudor, journalist at Antena 3 CNN, brought together Mr. Sorin Moldovan, State Secretary within the Romanian Ministry of National Defence; Mr. Vadym Halaichuk, First Deputy Chair of the Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU (Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine); Dr. Paul Coyer, Research Professor at The Institute of World Politics (USA); Mr. Nico Lange, Senior Fellow at the Munich Security Conference; and Mr. Shigeo Mutsushika, Managing Director of the Kazankai Foundation and Professor Emeritus at the University of Shizuoka (Japan).

The discussions emphasized that 2026 was shaping up to be a strategic inflection point, marked by the ongoing war in Ukraine, the fragilization of the transatlantic relationship, and growing pressure on Europe to strengthen both its autonomy and its defense capabilities. Speakers highlighted that stability in the Black Sea region, the resilience of NATO’s Eastern Flank, and sustained support for Ukraine constituted essential pillars in a geopolitical landscape defined by great-power competition and the proliferation of hybrid threats. In this context, Europe was called upon to assume a more mature strategic role, both militarily and in terms of industrial and energy policy.

The panel concluded that the structural transformations of the security environment required deeper coordination among European states, accelerated investment in critical capabilities, and the adaptation of defense doctrines to new operational realities. Continued support for Ukraine, the use of Western economic and legal instruments — including the mobilization of frozen Russian assets — and the consolidation of the transatlantic partnership were identified as indispensable conditions for maintaining regional stability and for shaping a durable European security order in the