[Event Report] KCS Experts' Roundtable (5): "The EU in a geopolitical turmoil"

On Feburary 17, 2026, the Keio Center for Strategy (KCS) hosted its 5th Expert Roundtable (ERT), featuring Mr. Olof Skoog, Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs of the European External Action Service (EEAS), as the guest speaker. Under the theme “The EU in a geopolitical turmoil,” Mr. Skoog delivered a lecture on the geopolitical challenges confronting the European Union and the EU’s responses to the rapidly evolving international environment.

The ERT brought together researchers, policy experts, EU officials and representatives, as well as students from Keio University. In his opening presentation, Mr. Skoog provided an overview of the current geopolitical landscape facing the EU and discussed the Union’s responses to these challenges. Among the issues addressed were the changing U.S. stance toward Europe, as reflected at the Munich Security Conference held immediately prior to the ERT; concerns surrounding the Greenland issue; the efforts of the EEAS to promote broad-based cooperation in the areas of trade and security; and, in particular, its diplomatic efforts toward achieving a lasting peace in Ukraine. He also addressed issues of international law concerning Venezuela.

During the subsequent Q&A session and discussion, the speaker and participants engaged in a lively exchange of views on a wide range of issues. These included the EU’s approach to China; U.S. strategy in the Indo-Pacific; Russia’s position on Ukraine’s prospective accession to the EU; the EU’s response to the Greenland issue; defense-industrial cooperation between the EU and other countries; the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine and ceasefire monitoring following the establishment of a ceasefire; the need for the EU to respond calmly and strategically to the successive demands put forward by the United States; and expectations regarding the role of Japanese companies in Ukraine’s post-war reconstruction following the establishment of a ceasefire.