NATO and Europe are standing at a crossroads. Russian armed forces are mobilizing along the Ukrainian border and Kremlin is posing unacceptable demands on NATO and neighbouring countries. This is forcing the international community to act to prevent a hostile conflict to spiral out of control. It seems difficult for NATO allies to deliver a coherent response to efficiently deter Russia. At the same time there is an ongoing process within the Alliance to develop a new “Strategic Concept” that is set to lay the path forward for NATO. The concept will be adopted at the NATO Summit in Madrid in the end of June.

These were some of the topics that NATO Deputy Secretary General, Mircea Geoană and the Norwegian Minister of Defence, Odd Roger Enoksen, discussed at Litteraturhuset in Oslo on February 7.

In addition, we were also pleased to welcome a panel of experts to further debate these issues. The panel consisted of journalist in Dagens Næringsliv, Sverre Strandhagen, lawyer and social scientist at the Norwegian Academy of International Law, Dr. Cecilie Hellestveit, and senior research fellow at The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, Karsten Friis.

The seminar was moderated by the Secretary General of The Norwegian Atlantic Committee, Kate Hansen Bundt.