Trusting Who We Are: Baltic Regional Security

May 15, 12:00-13:25

Livestream

Metallica, Nothing Else Matters [1991]

Russia’s war in Ukraine has caused major shifts in the countries that surround the Baltic Sea. As an immediate response to the war, NATO has substantially reinforced the region on the land and sea, and in the air, and will likely agree new, permanent arrangements at Madrid for the defence of the north-east flank. The Baltic states and Poland are beefing up their defence capabilities. Germany has announced huge changes to its security and defence policy. Finland and Sweden look set to abandon decades of non-alignment and to move towards NATO membership. Russia, naturally, has issued warnings and threats.

Speakers

François Heisbourg

Senior Advisor, International Institute for Strategic Studies

Artis Pabriks

Deputy Prime Minister for Comprehensive Defence, Minister of Defence of Latvia

Charly Salonius-Pasternak

Leading Researcher, Finnish Institute of International Affairs

Anna Wieslander

Director for Northern Europe, Atlantic Council

Moderator

Alar Karis

President of Estonia and Patron of the Lennart Meri Conference

What arrangements are now needed to ensure the security of the Baltic region?
How should responsibilities be shared among NATO, the EU, and the states of the region?
What should be the goals of and mechanisms for regional security cooperation?
What would Finnish and Swedish membership of NATO mean for Baltic regional security?