Europe's security elite meet in Prague: 6 takeaways that matter

As Israel bombs Iran and the Russia-Ukraine war intensifies, world leaders meet in Prague to confront Europe’s uncertain future.

Amid a turbulent week in global politics, Prague became the nerve center of European security and diplomacy. The Czech capital is hosting the three-day 20th annual Globsec Forum—Central Europe’s most prominent security and foreign policy summit—which is drawing sitting and former presidents, prime ministers, ministers of defense, military generals, and tech pioneers from across the democratic world. 

Held under the banner “Commanding (in) Chaos,” this year’s gathering addresses the EU’s path forward in an era defined by geopolitical fragmentation, war on the continent, and rapidly shifting technological frontiers. And for those of us living in Czechia, one takeaway stands out: the country is stepping onto the global stage.

So, what does it mean when world leaders meet in your adopted home city to chart Europe’s next move? And why does it matter to anyone living in Prague today?

Here are six takeaways from Globsec 2025 and why they could shape our home country.

Opening the forum Thursday morning, President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Petr Fiala made it clear that Czechia sees security and defense not just as regional priorities, but as defining values for the next generation of EU policy.

“We must ensure we can defend our own interests, without U.S. support if necessary,” said Pavel, a former NATO general who has become one of the continent’s clearest voices on Ukraine and collective defense.

Czechia’s leadership is also calling for a Europe that spends and acts like a serious security actor. Fiala suggested that 2 percent of GDP (the NATO benchmark for defense spending) isn’t enough. He floated 5 percent, a bold figure that signals Czechia’s growing ambitions.

For expats in Prague, this signals more than military posturing. It suggests a country repositioning itself as a central actor in the EU—not just a beneficiary of its structures.

Czechia’s widely praised ammunition initiative for Ukraine, launched earlier this year, has earned the country a reputation as a reliable, creative partner. “We continue to be among Europe’s strongest supporters of Ukraine,” said Pavel.

With political will and a tech-savvy defense industry, Prague is quickly becoming a serious address in international diplomacy. That growing profile could impact everything from foreign investment to job creation in high-tech and defense sectors.

Artificial intelligence and quantum computing were once the domain of startup conferences. Now, they’re topics for security summits.

Speaking at Globsec, Pavel and U.S. General (Ret.) John Allen both emphasized that future wars, and future alliances will be shaped by who leads in AI.

They noted that Ukraine’s success in deploying real-time battlefield tech offers a case study in how digital innovation can defend democracy.

For Czechia, where AI development is already a national priority, this could mean increased funding and attention to the tech sector, something expats in STEM fields might watch closely.

The tone at Globsec was clear: Europe can no longer take democracy for granted.

Robert Vass, Globsec’s founder and president, called out democratic backsliding in Hungary and Slovakia, suggesting Czechia must serve as a counterexample.

Allen, meanwhile, acknowledged current political polarization in the U.S. but argued that transatlantic unity is still Europe’s best defense.

For expats who value liberal democratic norms, the forum offered a sobering reminder: the systems we live under must be protected, not assumed.

Prime Minister Fiala noted that Czechia has successfully weaned itself off Russian oil. However, the country remains reliant on Russian gas and is lagging behind in its transition to renewables.

The energy divide is also economic: Czech energy companies benefit from cheap imports, but those savings aren’t visible at the pump.

This may hit close to home for residents of Prague, where fuel and electricity costs remain volatile. In the long term, though, the shift away from Russian energy could open up opportunities in green jobs and innovation.

For all the talk of budgets and autonomy, the emotional heart of the forum was Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking via video, pleaded for continued support. Pavel echoed that call, warning that “an unsplit Ukraine is necessary for the stability of Europe.”

The implication is clear: Ukraine’s reconstruction—and resistance—is not just a moral imperative. It’s a cornerstone of Czechia’s future stability and prosperity.

For the thousands of Ukrainians who now call Prague home, and for the international community watching from here, the message was direct: Ukraine’s future is our shared fate.

Hosting summits like Globsec positions Czechia not only as a leader in the European security sphere, but also on the global stage. As surmised by world leaders and industry experts in Prague, the EU must pull closer together to ensure the continent’s security. Higher defense spending, continued—and faster—developments in military technology, and the maintained support of Ukraine are imperative for this.

Today is the last day of the forum, in which leaders will continue to explore how Czechia can help bolster European security and stability. Uniformity, however, is key: as per Globsec’s 2025 theme, it’s “time for Europe to step up.”