The Collective West: Internal and External Challenges

On 9 December 2025, within the framework of the Seventh International Conference “The World Majority and the West in the Context of Geo-economic and Civilizational Transformations,” the Institute of  International Defense Economy and Strategy organized a panel entitled “The Collective West: Internal and External Challenges.” The panel brought together representatives of HSE University, the Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO RAS), and MGIMO University.

The panel was moderated by Dmitry V. Trenin, Director of the Institute of International Defense Economy and Strategy at HSE University.

Presentations were delivered by:

• Dmitry Efremenko (Russian Federation, HSE University) on “How Realistic Is the Hypothesis of Reformatting the Euro-Atlantic Region Today?”;
• Pavel Gudev (Russian Federation, IMEMO RAS) on “Hybrid Warfare in the Baltic: Actors and Models”;
• Ekaterina Degtereva (Russian Federation, HSE University) on “Military-Industrial Cooperation in the European Union: Resources, Risks, and Barriers”;
• Artem Sokolov (Russian Federation, MGIMO University) on “Germany in the Face of Old and New Challenges: Implications for Russia”;
• Georgy Toloraya (Russian Federation, HSE University; Institute of China and Contemporary Asia, RAS) on “Can BRICS Be Considered a Challenge to the West?”;
• Alexandra Zueva (Russian Federation, HSE University) on “Military-Political Challenges for Northeast Asia under the Second Administration of D. Trump”;
• Sergey Lebedev and Nikolay Novik (Russian Federation, HSE University) on “The United States in Central Asia: Between Offshore Balancing and Geo-economics”;
• Evgeniya Goryushina (Russian Federation, HSE University) on “The South Caucasus in the Coordinate System of the Collective West”.

The discussion focused on key aspects of relations between the Collective West and the countries of the World Majority, including developments in Europe, Central Asia, and within BRICS. Attention was paid to the militarization of the European Union and the risks of escalation in the Baltic region. The participants also examined U.S. foreign policy under the second administration of D. Trump, the specific features of Washington’s interaction with its allies and partners in Europe and Asia, and the impact of American strategy on the balance of power and prospects for stability in key regions of the world. The South Caucasus was considered as a zone of intersecting interests of the Collective West and regional actors.