
Lennart Meri Lecture 2022 by Ambassador Daniel Fried
Time Flies, as this conference observes. Tempus fugit - time marches on, as the saying goes. So what? Does the march of time have meaning? Does the passage of time tend to bring progress? Are human beings, over time, on an ascendent track, morally and…

Tempus Fugit – Time Flees
September 2021, the date of the last Lennart Meri Conference, seems eons ago. Russia’s savage war in Ukraine is already in its third month, its fallout landing from Central Asia to North Africa, from the Indo Pacific and the Middle East to Finland and Sweden.

Evil is Real: Time to Stand Up
What words are there when a country launches an all-out attack on its neighbour? “Evil is real,” I posted on Twitter on the morning of 24 February. We must recognise the evil of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and be more courageous in our response.

When Reality Bites
Russia’s war in Ukraine is not over, but it is not too soon to start thinking about what comes next – for Ukraine’s future, and our own.

These Challenging Times Demand an Unbending Response
There can be no illusions about the rest of the world’s relationship with a Russia ruled by Vladimir Putin.

Ukraine’s Resilience: Theory Meets Practice
Although for some years, the Sumy State University had developed a theoretical grasp of the subject, it was not until 24 February 2022 – when Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine – that I had my first real-life encounter with resilience.

Ukraine’s Accession to NATO Would Be a Win for Both
Over the course of three months, Ukraine has fought for the values that underpin NATO. Its armed forces have shown courage, strength, and ability. It deserves NATO membership just as much as Finland and Sweden, while NATO deserves a strong Ally like Ukraine.

What to Expect From Madrid?
When NATO heads of state and government meet in Madrid at the end of June, they are expected to adopt a new Strategic Concept, the high-level document that sets out the threats facing the Euro-Atlantic area and NATO’s role in dealing with them. Camille Grande,…

Charting NATO’s Future: The New Strategic Concept
The new Strategic Concept, to be agreed at Madrid, will set NATO’s course for the coming years. Allies will need to come to a common view of the threats they face and how these should be addressed.