What Europe is struggling with in respect of overlapping institutions is not unique, as the Global South has long struggled with similar challenges at a regional level. Therefore, Europe’s struggle to respond decisively to the war in Ukraine mirrors the challenges in the Global South, where the overlapping institutions and hybrid governance structures and divergent national agendas weaken regional security efforts. In Africa, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council lacks enforcement powers and relies on external actors; in South America, duplication between OAS and UNASUR has led to confusion; and in Southeast Asia, ASEAN’s emphasizes non-interference. Similar is the case in Europe, as it lacks coordination and political alignment when it comes to Ukraine.

Germany’s decision fills urgent gaps but also risks fragmenting the security and defense architecture, echoing the same governance dilemmas of the Global South. This highlights Luckham and Kirk (2013) hybrid security governance, where multiple actors, both state and non-state, informally share or compete over security responsibilities. The shift reflects a decentralized model. While this can increase flexibility and responsiveness, it raises concerns about overlapping mandates among states, difficulty in coordinating a collective action, and questions on legitimacy: who is in charge? Thus, the limitations of the institutional architecture are important to be considered now because the war in Ukraine directly affects global security, energy, and food supply.

The question on legitimacy pushes us to consider if security is being shaped for the state or for the people. Luckham and Kirk (2013) provide that security has “two faces,” and Germany must navigate and reflect on this duality. While Berlin seeks to avoid escalation with Russia and maintain geopolitical stability, Ukraine urgently demands protection grounded in human security. If Germany prioritizes state-centric caution at the expense of humanitarian urgency, it risks undermining the credibility of Europe’s entire security system. However, if it focuses solely on human security without considering the geopolitical picture, it risks further escalation with Russia. Finding the right balance without destabilizing the broader system is the central challenge facing Germany’s policymakers and political analysts. How they respond will further determine whether Europe can achieve strategic autonomy in a post-American order.