What is ‘strategic autonomy’ – and why is everyone suddenly reaching for it?

The leaders of Canada, France, India and Turkey are among those looking to leverage their ability to say ‘no’ to Washington.

By: Andrew Latham, Macalester College, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: June 4, 2026

Words: 1,044

Last Updated: 1 month, 2 weeks ago

By Andrew Latham, Macalester College

Strategic autonomy is having a moment.

European leaders are invoking it to justify a historic defense buildup; India’s foreign ministry has made it the organizing principle of a policy that buys Russian oil while courting American investment; and Canada is treating it as a “core objective.”

The phrase is everywhere in international relations circles, but the explanation is almost nowhere. So what does strategic autonomy actually mean? …

Create a free account to access this story and more

Join Plucky Wire to access full stories, collaborate with newsrooms, and discover content from networks around the world.