TOWARDS A MORE COHERENT RESPONSE IN FOREIGN POLICY MATTERS What is ultimately needed is for countries to put their differences aside and realise the importance of the EU's relevance and geopolitical agency in these unstable times. It is not easy for 27 States that have their own national priorities and ways of looking at the world to come together to form common, unified European interests. However, if the EU wants strategic autonomy, the main long-term goal has to be to foster this collective interest and strategic culture. The Strategic Compass ²², an initiative announced in June 2020 and meant to define Europe's security ambitions and forge a common strategic outlook, is a step in the right direction. 13