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The War in Ukraine and the Transatlantic Alliance

invitation only · Webinar · 25.04.2022 16:30 - 17:30

invitation only
Speakers

invitation only

Russia’s escalatory military invasion of Ukraine has devastated security in Europe. The war in Ukraine has led NATO to reassess its deterrence posture for its Eastern flank. Following Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO responded with “trip-wire” deterrence for its Eastern flank, this approach relied on multinational battlegroups through the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP). Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 now raises questions on whether “trip-wire” deterrence reinforced by possibilities to mobilize further NATO military units from west to east will remain enough to deter Russian aggression against NATO. As commander of US Army Europe between 2014 and 2018, Lt. Gen Ben Hodges had a leading role in developing the eFP and he remains a leading analyst of NATO deterrence as this continues to be adapted. This event will assess the development of NATO deterrence, examining the areas where this could be strengthened in response to escalated Russian aggression in its neighborhood.

Transatlantic Currents is a monthly webinar series hosted by FIIA featuring American experts of political science and international relations. The series will cover a wide array of timely topics from foreign policy to domestic issues. The webinars will be hosted by Ambassador (ret.) Deborah McCarthy or Non-Resident Fellow Leo Michel, FIIA.

Speakers

Opening remarks:

Charly Salonius-Pasternak

Leading Researcher, FIIA

Charly Salonius-Pasternak is a Leading Researcher at FIIA and leads the work of the Center on US Politics and Power (CUSPP). His work at FIIA focuses on international security issues, especially Nordic and transatlantic security (including NATO), as well as U.S. foreign and defence policy. Recently he has focused on Finnish-Swedish defence cooperation and the evolution of US and NATO alliance reassurance approaches in light of the changed regional security situation. In 2017, he was a visiting research fellow at the Changing Character of War programme at Pembroke College (Oxford University), where he studied the hybridization of warfare and the impact of the Information Age on the character of war.

Speaker:

Frederick "Ben" Hodges

LtGen (Retired), former Commander US Army Europe

Lieutenant General Frederick “Ben” Hodges was the Commanding General, United States Army Europe. A native of Florida, General Hodges is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. In addition to a variety of staff positions in the United States, he has served in Germany, Iraq, Korea, Afghanistan, and Turkey. General Hodges commanded infantry units at the Company, Battalion, and Brigade levels at the 101st Airborne Division. He has also been the Commander, NATO Allied Land Command.

Chair:

Deborah McCarthy

Ambassador (ret.)

Deborah A. McCarthy is an expert on U.S. foreign and national security policy with over 30 years of diplomatic experience. Until last year she was a Fellow at Harvard University. She is also consultant with the Transnational Security Group and the producer of the national security podcast “The General and the Ambassador” (https://www.generalambassadorpodcast.org). She served as the U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania from 2013 to 2016. Previously, she was the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs. Ms McCarthy also served as Deputy Ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Greece and the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua. In Washington, she was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Narcotics and Law Enforcement, the Senior Advisor for Counter Terrorism and the Special Coordinator for Venezuela. Other diplomatic postings include: Consul General Montreal, Economic Counselor U.S. Embassy Paris, Financial Economist U.S. Embassy Rome and assignments in the Dominic Republic and Haiti.