Russia’s war in Ukraine has upended the once hopeful vision of the Baltics as a tension-free geopolitical space, thus giving way to confrontational and escalatory dynamics. The previous NATO tripwire logic, with a modest multinational force presence, is no longer viewed as sufficient. Instead of placing faith in the policy of military reinforcement, the Baltic states are now actively calling for a robust allied presence on the ground. In light of this, the Riga workshop, by gathering lead scholars and practitioners, seeks to tackle the following key questions: What are the baseline requirements for credible deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank? Are the Baltic states ready to accommodate a brigade-size allied presence? What is the role of women within small-state armed forces such as the Baltics and how have they faired in implementing NATO’s Women, Peace, and Security agenda? The event, consisting of two scholarly panels and a policy roundtable, will be of interest to policy practitioners, international relations students, and the broader audience.
Location
University of Latvia, House of Science, Beta/Gamma Auditorium. Jelgavas iela 3, Riga (Google map available here)
Programm
10:30–10:40: Welcoming Remarks
10:40–12:10: Panel I: NATO’s forward military presence in the Baltics
Moderator: Andris Banka (University of Greifswald, Germany)
Speakers: Brian Blankenship (University of Miami, United States)
Maria Mälksoo (University of Copenhagen, Denmark)
Toms Rostoks (University of Latvia, Latvia)
Canadian military/diplomatic representative (TBC)
12:10–12:30: Coffee Break
12:30–14:00: Panel II: Women, defence and security in the Baltics and beyond
Moderator: Evija Djatkovica (Center for Geopolitical Studies Riga, Latvia)
Speakers: Katharine A. M. Wright (Newcastle University, United Kingdom)
Lolita Čigāne (Center for Geopolitical Studies Riga, Latvia)
Tiia-Triin Truusa (Baltic Defence College, Estonia)*
14:00–15:30: Coffee and Brunch
15:30–16:00: Transfer to the German Embassy in Riga
Location
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Riga, Raiņa bulvāris 13 (Google map available here)
16:00–17:30: Policy roundtable (by invitation): 20 years under the NATO umbrella
Moderator: Margit Bussmann (University of Greifswald, Germany)
Speakers: Margarita Šešelgytė (Vilnius University, Lithuania)*
Kristi Raik (The International Centre for Defence and Security, Estonia)
Christian Heldt (Ambassador of Germany to Latvia)
17:30: Reception at the German Embassy in Riga
Vorläufiges Programm zum Download [PDF]