General Ben Hodges to chair GLOBSEC’s Future Security & Defence Council
Bratislava, 7 February 2023: To support NATO’s efforts to increase the security of its allies and reinforce its deterrence capacity, GLOBSEC launches a new phase of its Future Security & Defence Council (FSDC). The Council’s activities will be developed under the strategic guidance of Lieutenant General (Retired) Ben Hodges, the former Commanding General of the US Army Europe.
In the upcoming year, GLOBSEC’s FSDC will examine the topic of defence and deterrence, which has been, in light of the war in Ukraine, marked as one of the priorities of NATO’s latest Strategic Concept. The Alliance now needs a long-term vision to ensure its security and resilience that will remain relevant for years to come. That requires significant investment in the Eastern flank and developing a posture that effectively deters Russian aggression. Bringing together experts from both public and private sectors, FSDC aims to help NATO in achieving these goals where a collection of actionably policy recommendations will culminate in the Council’s work
“Yet again, Russia poses an imminent threat to Europe’s security. By launching its illegal and unprovoked war against Ukraine, Russia broke down a fragile European security order. NATO and its allies have no choice but to deter and defend against further Russian aggression and aggressively aid our ally Ukraine. I am therefore delighted that GLOBSEC decided to focus the continuation of its Future Security and Defence Council, which I chair, on defence and deterrence,” commented General B. Hodges.
To cover the different aspects of the defence and deterrence concepts, the Council will focus on four main topics:
- Deterrence of the Eastern Flank in the 21st century
- NATO’s Global Role, Deterrence and European contributions
- Nuclear Deterrence
- Technology and Deterrence
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has stirred fears of another great war in Europe and the missile incident in the village of Przewodów, Poland, showed how close to such war can the Alliance be. Defence and deterrence are thus no longer relics of the Cold War era. They have been brought back to the fore due to their key role in preventing further escalation and expansion of the Ukrainian conflict to NATO’s territory,” said Róbert Vass, Founder and President of GLOBSEC
The Council chaired by General Ben Hodges, who is also a Senior Advisor at “Human Rights First,” will welcome the following new members: Ambassador Ivo Daalder, Dean Arancha González Laya, Camille Grand, General Pavel Macko, and Jiří Šedivý.
Previous members who will continue on the board include President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, Marcel Grisnigt, General Denis Mercier, Admiral Manfred Nielson, General Curtis M. Scaparrotti, and Krasimira Stoyanova.
About GLOBSEC:
GLOBSEC is a global think-tank based in Bratislava committed to enhancing security, prosperity and sustainability in Europe and throughout the world. It is an independent, non-partisan, non-governmental organisation. Its mission is to influence the future by generating new ideas and solutions for a better and safer world. To this goal contributes the annual GLOBSEC Bratislava Forum, one of the leading global security conferences. GLOBSEC also organises the annual GLOBSEC Tatra Summit, a conference that provides the opportunity for experts to have fruitful political discussions on the future of Europe.
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Media mentions:
"Russian Submarines off U.S. East Coast Spark Cold War Comparisons" by Isabel van Brugen for Newsweek.