Baltic Sea Security: How can allies and partners meet the new challenges in the region?

Ships from various nations in the Baltic Region at Baltic Operations 2014. (Copyright: US Navy/Luis R. Chavez Jr.. Rescaled for this purpose.)

With the Ukraine crisis and an increasingly aggressive Russia, the Baltic Sea region is again an area of key strategic importance. As NATO allies and partners are confronted with provocative Russian behavior, there is a need to take a fresh look at the various military and political instruments available and initiatives undertaken so far. How can NATOs allies and partners jointly and individually meet the challenges currently posed by Russia to security in our neighborhood?

Registration is required to cdp@ifs.ku.dk no later than May 28 at 12:00. 

Program 

09:00 - 09:30 Registration and coffee

09:30 – 09:50 Welcome (Kristian Søby Kristensen, Centre for Military Studies)

09:50 - 10:00 Introducing the conference (Ann-Sofie Dahl, Centre for Military Studies)

10:00 - 11:45 Panel 1. Security in the Baltic Sea region

How has security in the Baltic Sea been affected by developments in the last year, how has the West handled the challenges so far, what are the views in the US and NATO – and what is Russia up to in the region?

Moderator: Ann-Sofie Dahl (Centre for Military Studies)

Speakers:

Christopher Coker (London School of Economics)

Gudrun Persson (FOI, Stockholm)

Andras Simonyi (SAIS, Washington, DC)

James Mackey (NATO HQ)

11:45 - 12:45 Lunch

12:45 - 14:30 Panel 2. The Allies: How do we, and should we, meet the challenge?NATOs allies in the Nordic-Baltic region approach the current security challenges from different angles, depending on their national perspectives. What is going on in the Baltic Sea region, and how should we deal with it? Perspectives from Berlin, Warsaw, Tallinn, Oslo and Copenhagen.

Moderator: Kristian Søby Kristensen (Centre for Military Studies)

Speakers:

Claudia Major (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, Berlin)

Justyna Gotkowska (Centre for Eastern Studies, Warsaw)

Andres Kasekamp (Estonian Foreign Policy Institute, Tallinn, University of Tartu)

Paal Sigurd Hilde (Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, Oslo)

Mikkel Vedby Rasmussen (Ministry of Defence, Copenhagen)

14:30 - 15:00 Coffee

15:00 – 16:30 Panel 3. The partners: How can allies and partners work together to counter the challenges?

Two of the countries in the Baltic Sea region are NATO partners, now part of the new Enhanced Partnership Program that was launched at the NATO Summit in Wales. How can Sweden and Finland contribute to enhancing security in the region, and how can the regional allies and partners work together to meet the challenges?

Moderator: Henrik Ø. Breitenbauch (Centre for Military Studies)

Speakers:

Ann-Sofie Dahl (Centre for Military Studies)

Karoliina Honkanen (Finland’s Delegation to NATO)

Jakob Henningsen (DANATO)

16:30-17:30 Conclusion and reception