Network 20/20

🌍 How are the Nordic Baltic Eight reshaping European security?

Thank you to Dr. Hiski Haukkala, Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (@FIIA_fi); Dr. Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (@PetersonInstitute); and Dr. Kristi Raik, Director of the International Centre for Defence and Security (@ICDS_Tallinn), for joining us for *The New North: The Eight States Shaping a New European Security.*

Below are some key takeaways from today's discussion:

📍 The Nordic Baltic Eight occupy a unique strategic position. They feel the existential threat from Russia most acutely while possessing the fiscal strength to act on it, with some of Europe's strongest balance sheets, triple A credit ratings, and Norway's 1.9 trillion+ sovereign wealth fund enabling them to invest in both defense and domestic priorities without the painful "guns vs. butter" trade off most of Europe faces.

🛡️ The NB8 are leading European defense procurement integration, combining Nordic air forces, joint ammunition procurement, and coordinated armored vehicle purchases while pushing toward NATO's 5% GDP defense spending target. However, Southern European countries are unlikely to match this commitment, creating growing schisms within the EU over security priorities.

🇪🇺 As major net contributors to the EU budget, the NB8 countries are well positioned to shape the next long term EU budget toward defense capabilities and Ukraine support. Meanwhile, Iceland's upcoming EU accession referendum could further reshape the region's European footprint, with potential ripple effects on Norway.

🇺🇦 The panelists agreed that "no deal is better than a bad deal" for Ukraine. While the war continues, the probability of a direct Russian military attack on NATO is near zero, but the risk rises sharply once the war ends and Russia could redirect its battle hardened forces. Territorial integrity for Ukraine is nonnegotiable for the NB8, and any US acceptance of Ukraine ceding territory would be deeply difficult for the region to digest.

💬 We also appreciated the thoughtful questions from participants, which sparked discussion on the Nordic nuclear weapons debate, energy security transitions away from Russian fossil fuels, the durability of NB8 cohesion beyond the current crisis, and postwar transatlantic strategy.

🔎 The conversation explored the growing role of the Nordic Baltic Eight in #EuropeanSecurity and what this shift could mean for #NATO, #Ukraine, the European Union, and transatlantic relations.

🎧 Follow Network 20/20 on YouTube and the #GlobalInsights Podcast to hear the full conversation when it becomes available.

Global Insights Podcast: network2020.org/global-insights-podcast/

#Network2020 #NordicBaltic #TransatlanticRelations

6 days ago | [YT] | 1

Network 20/20

The Nordic-Baltic Eight are quietly becoming one of Europe's most consequential security blocs and Washington is watching closely 🌍
➡️ RSVP at us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1617869808106/WN_…
From arming Ukraine to redrawing NATO's northern flank, the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) are no longer a quiet corner of Europe. They're shaping the future of the transatlantic alliance in real time.

But growing influence comes with growing exposure. As the NB8 take on a bigger role in European and transatlantic security, can they manage the economic and political risks that come with it? And what does their rise mean for the balance of power inside the EU — and for the U.S.-Europe relationship?

Join us for a timely conversation with:
🎙 Dr. Hiski Haukkala, Director, Finnish Institute of International Affairs ‪@FIIA_fi‬
🎙 Dr. Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics ‪@PetersonInstitute‬
🎙 Dr. Kristi Raik, Director, International Centre for Defence and Security ‪@ICDS_Tallinn‬

#EuropeanSecurity #NATO #Nordics #BalticStates #Ukraine #ForeignPolicy #Transatlantic #Geopolitics #Network2020

1 week ago | [YT] | 1

Network 20/20

HOW IS THE UAE PLOTTING ITS RISE?
We were pleased to welcome Dr. Neil Quilliam, Associate Fellow with Chatham House's Middle East and North Africa Programme, for our members-only conversation on the #UAE's evolving #foreignpolicy and its growing role in regional and #globalaffairs.

Dr. Quilliam discussed the UAE's strategic priorities and the factors shaping its role in an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. A few things he shared that stood out:

🔹 Leaving #OPEC gives the UAE greater independence over its #energy strategy. With significant production capacity, Abu Dhabi is seeking to monetize its hydrocarbon resources while they remain competitive and avoid leaving valuable reserves stranded.
🔹 The UAE’s influence rests heavily on networks. Decades of well-financed investment in diplomacy, expertise, trade, finance, and strategic relationships have enabled a relatively small state to bring a vision to life and exercise influence well beyond its size.
🔹 Competition with #SaudiArabia is becoming increasingly consequential. Once closely aligned, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are now competing across business, tourism, technology, regional influence, and strategic positioning.
🔹 The UAE–Israel relationship is likely to remain durable. Despite regional tensions, Dr. Quilliam argued that ties spanning security, technology, trade, and defense have deepened—and are closely connected to Abu Dhabi’s broader relationship with Washington.
🔹 The UAE is still hedging—but there are limits. While Abu Dhabi continues to deepen economic ties with #China, Dr. Quilliam emphasized that its strategic and security relationship with the United States remains fundamental, particularly in sensitive areas such as technology and defense.

Network 20/20's Virtual Salons give members exclusive access to candid conversations with leading experts on today's most pressing foreign policy and national security issues.

Want in on the next one? Learn more about becoming a Network 20/20 member at: network2020.org/membership-benefits/

2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 1

Network 20/20

🌐 What if intelligence is no longer the exclusive domain of governments?

Below are some key takeaways from our discussion today with Dr. Eliot A. Jardines, Founder & Executive Director of the OSINT Foundation, and Dr. Anthony Vinci, Co-Founder and CEO of Vico, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and former Chief Technology Officer & Associate Director for Capabilities at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)



📍 Intelligence is no longer limited to governments. Open-source intelligence and commercially available information have expanded access to intelligence capabilities far beyond traditional intelligence agencies.

🤖 AI is transforming every stage of the intelligence process—from collecting and analyzing information to generating intelligence products—while also creating new challenges for verification, transparency, and trust.

🛰️ Commercial satellite imagery and other publicly available data have become essential intelligence resources, allowing analysts to answer national security questions using information available outside classified channels.

⚠️ As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, analysts must determine not only whether information is accurate, but whether an image, video, document, or even an online identity is authentic in the first place.

🌍 Intelligence increasingly extends beyond governments. Private companies now play a central role as both targets of espionage and providers of technologies that shape intelligence collection, cybersecurity, and national security.

💬 We also appreciated the thoughtful questions from participants, which sparked discussions on TikTok, AI-generated intelligence, economic espionage, public-private partnerships, intelligence sharing, and the future of open-source intelligence.

🔎 The conversation explored how publicly available information, commercial technologies, and AI are reshaping the intelligence landscape.



▶️ If you missed the conversation—or would like to revisit it—the recording is available here: https://youtu.be/SjkopMH_yIU



#Network2020 #InternationalAffairs #NationalSecurity #OSINT #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Intelligence #natiotionalsecurity #espionage #spy

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

Network 20/20

It was a pleasure to host Gregory B. Poling, Director and Senior Fellow of the Southeast Asia Program and the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS, in our members-only conversation on the Philippines' evolving role in the South China Sea — and why it matters far beyond the region.

Greg has spent 15+ years tracking this flashpoint, and a few things he shared genuinely reframed how we think about it:

🔹 China avoids direct force on purpose. The strategy is "left of bang" — intimidation, water cannons, boat-blocking — precisely calibrated to stay below the threshold that would trigger a U.S. military response under our mutual defense treaty with the Philippines.

🔹 The Philippines is America's oldest defense ally in the Indo-Pacific — older than our alliances with Japan or Korea — yet the two countries only formally defined "what the alliance is actually for" in the last few years.

🔹 China's territorial claims aren't really about history. As Greg put it, arguing historical fact with Chinese counterparts is often beside the point — the claims function more as national mythology than legal argument, which is exactly why they're so hard to negotiate away.

🔹 "Non-lethal" force isn't risk-free. Water cannons, lasers, and ramming look tame — until they aren't. The only fatality in decades of South China Sea confrontations happened last year, when Chinese vessels collided with each other.

🔹 Scarborough Shoal, not Taiwan, may be the bigger near-term flashpoint. Greg's read: a Taiwan crisis would likely give the world months of warning. A South China Sea incident could escalate overnight.

We're grateful to everyone who joined us for this candid, members-only discussion. 💬

Want in on the next one? Learn more about becoming a Network 20/20 member at network2020.org/membership-benefits/

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

Network 20/20

What do spies, satellites, startups, and artificial intelligence have in common? More than you might think.

➡️ RSVP at us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/3017845612209/WN_…

From AI-powered analysis to commercial satellites and open-source intelligence, the tools once reserved for governments are changing the future of espionage, national security, and global cooperation.

Join Dr. Eliot A. Jardines, Founder & Executive Director of the OSINT Foundation, and Anthony Vinci, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and former Chief Technology Officer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), for a timely discussion on how artificial intelligence, commercial technology, and public-private collaboration are transforming modern intelligence.

Anthony Vinci, Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) and former Chief Technology Officer at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)

🗓 Tuesday, July 28

🕛 12–1 PM ET

#ArtificialIntelligence #OSINT #CyberSecurity #NationalSecurity #Intelligence #Network2020

1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 2

Network 20/20

Happy Fourth of July from all of us at Network 20/20. 🇺🇸

As the United States celebrates its 250th anniversary, Independence Day offers an opportunity to reflect on our nation's history and its role in an increasingly interconnected world.

Diplomacy and international engagement were critical to the U.S. achieving its independence and on this milestone, we celebrate the ways that geopolitics and foreign policy have been critical to shaping this country. Wishing you a safe and meaningful Independence Day.

1 month ago | [YT] | 2

Network 20/20

🌐 What does the situation at the Strait of Hormuz tell us about geopolitical chokepoints and their implications?
🙏 We are grateful to our speakers—Edward Fishman, Senior Fellow and Director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomics at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare; Professor Monica Hakimi, William S. Beinecke Professor of Law at Columbia Law School; and Professor James Holmes, J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College—for bringing diplomatic, legal, and military-strategic perspectives to this complex issue.
🔎 The conversation explored how chokepoints are no longer limited to narrow waterways. They are present in financial systems, supply chains, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, energy technologies, and international legal frameworks—where concentrated control and limited substitutes can create powerful leverage.

Key takeaways from the discussion included:

📍 Chokepoints extend beyond geography. They can exist wherever a country or coalition holds dominant control over a hard-to-substitute asset, service, or system.
🚢 Maritime chokepoints still matter. The Strait of Hormuz, Bab el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, Panama Canal, and other passages continue to shape military mobility, trade flows, energy security, and deterrence.
⚖️ International law is part of the story. Legal frameworks help define the terms of passage, access, legitimacy, and dispute—but they also evolve alongside shifts in power.
🔄 Weaponizing chokepoints can accelerate workarounds. States and companies respond by diversifying supply chains, building alternative routes, investing in domestic capacity, and forming new regional or minilateral arrangements.
🛡️ Economic security is becoming central to foreign policy. The challenge ahead is not only how to benefit from interdependence, but how to manage vulnerability in a more contested global environment.
💬 We also appreciated the thoughtful questions from participants, which helped connect the discussion to current debates on rare earths, pharmaceuticals, the WTO, space, diplomacy, and the future of the international order.

▶️ If you missed the conversation—or would like to revisit it—the recording is available here:

2 months ago | [YT] | 0

Network 20/20

🗺️ Is the weaponization of chokepoints becoming the new global norm?

👉 Secure your spot and RSVP here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/8917812076643/WN_…

From the Strait of Hormuz to semiconductor supply chains, our world relies heavily on a few critical physical and digital passageways. Today, control over these visible and invisible "chokepoints" is shifting global power dynamics and shaping transactional diplomacy.

If you are a decision-maker trying to navigate a rapidly changing technological and energy landscape, you cannot afford to miss this upcoming panel.

Join us for a timely and vital discussion: "Chokepoints: The Hidden Infrastructure of Global Power"

🎙️ Featuring an incredible lineup of experts:

Edward Fishman – Senior Fellow and Director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomics at the Council on Foreign Relations and the author of “Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare”

Professor Monica Hakimi – William S. Beinecke Professor of Law at Columbia Law School

Professor James Holmes – J. C. Wylie Chair of Maritime Strategy at the Naval War College

📅 Date: Tuesday, June 23rd

⏰ Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST

📍 Where: Virtual via Zoom

#Geopolitics #GlobalTrade #ForeignPolicy #EconomicWarfare #SupplyChain #NationalSecurity

2 months ago | [YT] | 1

Network 20/20

What does it take to imagine peace in a time of war?

This morning, Network 20/20 was honored to host Maoz Inon and Aziz Abu Sarah for a powerful conversation on peace, reconciliation, and their shared vision for the future of Israelis and Palestinians.

Despite experiencing profound personal loss because of the conflict, both speakers have dedicated their lives to challenging the belief that violence leads to security. Instead, they argued that peace begins with a vision of a different future—one that people can believe in and work toward together.

One message particularly resonated with our audience: we must acknowledge the realities of the present while refusing to let them define the future. Every day that passes without a path toward peace means more suffering, more loss, and more lives affected on both sides.

Maoz and Aziz reminded us that peace is not merely the absence of conflict. It is a future that must be imagined, articulated, and actively built. And before people can support peace, they must first believe that it is possible.

Thank you to Maoz Inon and Aziz Abu Sarah for sharing your stories, your courage, and your hope. We are also grateful to everyone who joined us for this meaningful conversation.

#Peacebuilding #Dialogue #ConflictResolution #IsraelPalestine #InternationalRelations #Network2020

You can learn more about their new book, “The Future is Peace,” at thefutureispeace.com/

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2 months ago | [YT] | 2