Night Owl Session under the Chatham House Rule

Hybrid Horizons: From Reaction to Initiative

May 16, 22:15-23:30

Room: Seville

From Europe to the Middle East and Indo-Pacific, airspace incursions, sabotage, AI-enabled cyber operations, and disinformation campaigns are more prevalent than ever. As boundaries between war and peace blur, the international community is in dire need of clarity—about the rules of engagement and use of countermeasures against hybrid aggression. How do we recognise that we are at war and adopt strategies to reflect it? In this geopolitical environment, prevention is insufficient. Can we deploy offensive tools against adversaries without undermining our own legitimacy, the rule of law, and public trust? Are our institutions and societies prepared to assume the responsibility that comes with defensive—or even pre-emptive—action in the face of asymmetric threats?