Conference “Trump Changes the Rules”: What Does It Mean for European Security?

Last week, the auditorium of the Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University hosted the first conference of this academic year. Its central theme was the future of European defence during Donald Trump’s second term as U.S. president. The conference was held by the Student Section of IIPS in cooperation with the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and the International Institute of Political Science at Masaryk University.

28 Oct 2026 Jan Mokrý Ondřej Gruszka

In two panels, participants discussed the gradual transformation of America’s relationship with Europe, efforts to strengthen European self-sufficiency, and the problems individual governments must deal with. The main theme of the afternoon programme was the high fragmentation of the European arms industry, which reduces overall operational capability in the event of armed conflict with the Russian Federation. Participants also reflected on current developments, including Donald Trump’s growing rapprochement with Vladimir Putin and the reduction of U.S. military personnel at bases in NATO member states. Ukraine and its wartime experience were not overlooked either.

Before the opening debate, speeches were given by former Slovak Minister of Defence Jaroslav Naď and former Czech Ambassador to NATO Jiří Šedivý. Both speakers agreed that Europe must abandon its illusions of lasting peace and of taking American help for granted. Although the Trump administration is pressing hard for higher defence spending, it is not the first to do so. According to both speakers, it was already the Biden administration that urged a change in approach to armament. The discussion then touched on, among other things, NATO members’ willingness to increase defence spending, particularly given the growing popularity of politicians promising the opposite. Questions from the audience focused mainly on the Alliance’s preparedness, for example through the reintroduction of compulsory military service.

In the second half, Oldřich Krpec from the Department of International Relations and Boris Kaliský from the Association for International Affairs (AMO) took a closer look at the lessons drawn so far from the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Boris Kaliský presented how cooperation between the civil sector and the army works in Ukraine and what the Czech Republic could learn from it. He pointed out that although the Czech Republic has a framework for functioning in a crisis, gaps still remain in strategic communication and in the preparedness of critical infrastructure.

Oldřich Krpec then focused on the overall contribution of the European arms industry to Ukraine. As it turns out, the arms industry so far cannot adequately cover Ukraine’s needs on the battlefield. Larger deliveries are hindered not only by reluctance, but also by a fragmented arms industry that prevents production from accelerating. Although production capacities have grown since 2022, they must continue to be expanded.

After the conference itself, we moved to the U Lucerny restaurant, where a themed pub quiz took place. Contestants could test their knowledge of U.S. foreign policy, Scandinavian security policy, and the policies of Donald Trump.

In closing, we would like to thank the International Institute of Political Science and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung for their help in organizing the conference.