Europe’s New Lines of Defense Are Not Maginot 2.0

European nations are undertaking their most significant defensive hardening since the Cold War, building new lines of defense along their eastern frontiers. This effort represents a strategic adaptation to the war in Ukraine, shifting NATO's posture from deterrence by punishment to deterrence by denial. These new defenses, such as the Baltic Defense Line and Poland's East Shield, are not a modern Maginot Line but are intended to function as integrated networks of sensors, drones, and physical obstacles. They are designed to slow an aggressor, buy time for reinforcements, and enable a more agile, technology-driven defense that compensates for European manpower shortages. The goal is to make aggression costly and ensure the forward line can be held from the outset of a conflict.