- July 04, 2023
- -
- July 04, 2023
Summits of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization always represent a very special event in the world political calendar. However, with a view to the upcoming NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius in July, the expectations and tension in the run-up to the event are exceeding previously known levels. This is primarily due to the foreign and security policy state of the alliance in the second year of Russia’s war against Ukraine. But China’s threatening gestures toward the island state of Taiwan are also increasingly presenting the alliance with strategic challenges. On the other hand, Finland’s participation in a summit for the first time as the 31st and youngest member of the alliance should bring joy to NATO. Overall, the Western defense alliance is facing old problems and new challenges – and is also dealing with difficult partners, especially when one thinks of the re-elected Turkish President Erdogan. What is the current state of transatlantic support in the Ukraine war? How is NATO positioning itself in the increasingly important Indo-Pacific, especially on the Taiwan issue? What qualitative added value does the Alliance’s northern enlargement offer with regard to Finland and Sweden? To what extent will Turkey continue to be a strategically challenging ally, as it has been under President Erdogan? Podcast hosts Julia Friedlander, Atlantik-Brücke, and Stormy-Annika Mildner, Aspen Institute Germany, discuss these questions with Dr. Ben Schreer, Executive Director and Head of the European Security and Defence Programme at the Berlin-based International Institute for Strategic Studies-Europe (IISS).
