On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, the DIVAN Centre hosted its BLACK COFFEE background briefing at the Hotel Waldorf Astoria in Berlin, bringing together guests from diplomacy, academia and civil society for an in-depth discussion on European security policy.
The featured speaker was Dr. Karl-Heinz Kamp, political scientist, security expert, former President of the Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS), and a long-standing analyst of nuclear deterrence. In his presentation, Dr. Kamp explored the prospects and challenges of a European security and defense architecture operating independently of the United States. Drawing on his teaching and research at Roma Tre University and his current role at the NATO Defense College in Rome, he offered nuanced insights into Europe’s strategic vulnerabilities, the complexities of burden-sharing, and the question of how credible autonomous European defense capabilities truly are.
The conversation was moderated by Ewald König, who guided the audience through a lively Q&A under the Chatham House Rule, encouraging candid perspectives on transatlantic relations, NATO’s future role, and the strategic calculus of European states in light of shifting global power dynamics.
The DIVAN Centre extends its heartfelt thanks to Dr. Kamp for his thought-provoking contribution, to Ewald König for the skilful moderation, and to all participants for their engaged discussion.
