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Lennart Meri Conference 2024

16-18 May 2024 · Radisson Collection Hotel, Tallinn

Three days packed with insights by distinguished policymakers, analysts, politicians, military officials and academia from around the globe in Tallinn, Estonia. Key foreign and security policy issues discussed mostly from the perspective of the northern and eastern parts of Europe.

The 17th Lennart Meri Conference (LMC) will take place on 16-18 May 2024, in Tallinn, Estonia.

The world is becoming more chaotic, there is war in Europe and in the Middle East, and tensions are rising in the Indo-Pacific. Amid constant crises, it can be easy to feel helpless, and difficult to find new ways to protect our societies, rules, and values. Nevertheless, we can be inspired by the words of then Senator John F. Kennedy – Let us not despair, but act.

Speakers

Alar Karis

President of Estonia

Guðni Th Jóhannesson

President of Iceland 

Kaja Kallas

Prime Minister of Estonia

Pål Jonson

Minister for Defence of the Kingdom of Sweden

Timothy Snyder

Levin Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University

Carl Bildt

Co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations

Rym Momtaz

Consultant Research Fellow for European Foreign Policy and Security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies

Jan Christian Kaack

Chief of the German Navy

Celeste Wallander

Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy

Benjamin Haddad

Member of the French National Assembly

Markéta Pekarová Adamová 

Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

Keiichi Ichikawa

Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary and Deputy National Security Adviser 

Livestream

Supporters & partners

Articles

Moscow and Swedish NATO Accession

Russia’s geopolitical goals, its overall confrontation with the west, and its war against Ukraine will continue to be key to dimensioning Moscow’s military planning. Its rhetoric and threats are, however, what Russia has left in its arsenal to deter Sweden.

LMC 2024: Let Us Not Despair, But Act

Russian Intelligence and Western Counterintelligence

The recent surge in cases across the west relating to Russian intelligence activities is a bitter reminder — lest anyone should think otherwise — that the Russian intelligence community remains highly active, the country’s challenges in Ukraine notwithstanding.

LMC 2024: Let Us Not Despair, But Act

The Axis of Upheaval: How the Convergence of Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea Will Challenge the US and Europe

One of President Putin’s many miscalculations in his decision to invade Ukraine was his underestimation of the west’s response. Indeed, the US and Europe outperformed what many in the west themselves thought was possible in the run-up to the war. Russia’s aggression set in motion…

LMC 2024: Let Us Not Despair, But Act

Organising for Victory

Today, the United States and its Allies face global challenges. The question is … do we have the political will, industrial capacity, economic leverage, and military capability to overcome those challenges? Can we organise for victory … or will we just kick the can down…

LMC 2024: Let Us Not Despair, But Act

Martin Herem: A NATO Victory Is Not in Question – But the Fight Will Be Ugly

It is trendy to talk about Ukraine or the Russian threat. However, actions speak louder than words. Many processes run exactly the way they did three years ago. Yet today, we are in a hurry. And the enemy should be warded off now. The Commander…

LMC 2024: Let Us Not Despair, But Act

Lennart Meri Lecture 2024: Ukrainian History and the Future of the World by Timothy Snyder

Transcription from the video recording.

LMC 2024: Let Us Not Despair, But Act