GLOBSEC Hosts NATO's Director for Defence Planning, Major General Karl Ford

On Thursday, March 20, 2025, GLOBSEC had the honor of hosting Major General Karl Ford, NATO's Director for Defence Planning. As part of his visit, our Defence Policy team presented an overview of GLOBSEC’s ongoing projects, future research initiatives, and policy discussions on transatlantic and European security.

Following the briefing, GLOBSEC convened a roundtable discussion with key members of Slovakia’s defense policy community. The discussion focused on contemporary challenges in defense capacity building and the implementation of NATO’s policy priorities in defense and deterrence. Particular attention was given to strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and reinforcing the European pillar of the Alliance.

"Discussion with Major General Ford is an opportunity to clarify the reasons for strengthening security in Europe and raising awareness among both the expert and general public about what is needed to maintain peace and security in the territories of NATO member countries." stated Martin Sklenár, Former Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic & Distinguished Fellow, GLOBSEC. 

During the discussion, the most prominent topic was the new common goals of NATO in the field of defense capabilities, which are intended to reflect the significantly worsened security environment, and whose approval is expected in the summer of this year. Equally relevant is the topic of defense spending, a significant increase in which is a prerequisite for building an effective framework for deterrence and defense of NATO members.

GLOBSEC remains committed to fostering dialogue between NATO leadership and the think-tank community in the lead-up to the crucial NATO Summit this June.