Security in the Baltics: Perception and Reality

Calls for a stronger NATO presence in the Baltics have increased in recent years amid rising security concerns and worries about a possible armed conflict with Russia. The Russian government fueled such fears further with its 2017 military exercise Zapad that included mock attacks on the Baltic countries.

At the same time, however, NATO members are also divided about the alliance’s future course in the Baltics, with some arguing that an increased presence of the alliance on its Eastern borders will only provoke Russia.

We intend to discuss how the security situation in the Baltic states has evolved in recent years. We will debate whether the security policies of the Baltic countries match the real security threat Russia presents and which security challenges the Baltics and NATO will face in future relations with Russia.

Speakers:
Riina KALJURAND, Adviser, Policy Planning Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Estonia, Tallinn
Alexander GOLTS, Military Expert and Editor-in-Chief of the Online Platform Yezhednevny Zhurnal, Moscow
Christoph SCHWEGMANN, Military-Political Adviser, Policy Planning Staff of the Federal Foreign Office, Berlin

Chair:
Stefan MEISTER, Head, Robert Bosch Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia, DGAP

The event is part of a series of discussions hosted by the German Council on Foreign Relations in cooperation with the German Association for East European Studies (DGO). It is organized by the Robert Bosch Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia. The discussions will be held in English. Following the debate, you are kindly invited to a reception.

As seating is limited, please RSVP at your earliest convenience to Yulia Loeva via email: Aktivieren Sie JavaScript, um diesen Inhalt anzuzeigen.

The next event in this series will take place on 20 September and will focuse on Estonia’s, Latvia’s and Lithuania’s role in the European Union.

Veranstaltungsprogramm

Program (PDF, 186 kB)