In September 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a European Security Council before the Parliament in Strasbourg, seeking to give the EU its own institutional voice in an era of drone incursions, hybrid warfare, and uncertain American commitments. The proposal speaks to a continent reckoning with its own strategic maturity — no longer content to wait for Washington's lead, yet risking the coherence of the very alliances that have kept the peace for seven decades. History reminds us that the desire for autonomy and the need for unity are not always easy companions.