In this article, NATO Association Program Editor Megan Keli analyzes the use of hybrid warfare in the Western Balkans. Through disinformation campaigns, cyber attacks, local media partnerships, and the like, external actors threaten NATO enlargement in the region and transnational security.
Eastern Europe and Russia
Eastern Europeean and Russian Region
Canada’s Military: Increased Attention, Increased Funding
Military spending boosted as public awareness of defense rises
A Fragile Balance in the Mediterranean
Russia has long sought a presence in the Mediterranean, and thanks to its intervention in Syria, it now has one. But can it challenge NATO and its dominance? Not yet, says Elliott Simpson, but as tensions mount elsewhere, NATO should remain vigilant.
The Quandary of Corporate Combatants: Wagner Group and the Expansion of Russian Private Security Operations
Who is Wagner Group and what kind of danger do contractors like Wagner pose to global security? In this article, Jacob Laybolt explains the growing strategic importance of private military security companies (PMSCs) to Russian foreign policy, their risk to NATO’s eastern flank, and their relevance in international relations.
Democracy Battles Back: Inside Canada’s Mission to the Baltics with Ambassador Kevin Rex
Canada’s contribution to the enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia began in 2017 and has since become a significant part of NATO’s security architecture in Eastern Europe. In this article, Jack Burnham sits down with Kevin Rex, Canada’s ambassador to the Baltics, to discuss his career, the eFP, and Canada’s relationships with Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
Democratic Backsliding in Former Communist Countries: Hungary
Signs of democratic backsliding in former communist countries in Europe have raised concern within the continent and beyond. In this second article of a three-part series on democratic backsliding, Tea Vasha explores how the justice system reform and other policy implementations in Hungary have contributed to undemocratic shifts.
Democratic Backsliding in Former Communist Countries: Poland
Does democratic backsliding constitute a threat to the peace and security of Europe and beyond? In the first article of a three-part series, Tea Vasha analyzes the reforms implemented in Poland during the Law and Justice Party’s rule and how they have contributed to a shift away from democratic norms.
A Sour Grape? Perspectives on Ukraine and NATO Membership
A discussion with Ukrainian stateswoman Hanna Hopko on the prospects of Ukraine joining NATO, and its impact on Eastern Europe and Russia.
Lukashenko’s Gambit: Embattled Belarusian President Risks National Sovereignty Amidst Increasing Isolation from the West
In this article Griffin Cornwall examines the impact of the Belarusian Government’s dramatic arrests of Roman Protasevich and Sofia Sapega, the increased sanctions pressure from the West this action has brought, and the potential risks to Belarus’ national sovereignty brought by President Lukashenko’s retrenchment of his relationship to his longstanding ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin
The Maple Leaf and the Trident: Canadian Capacity Building in Ukraine
On June 29, 2021 the NATO Association of Canada hosted a panel discussion with Lieutenant-Colonel Melanie Lake, Task force Commander of Operation UNIFIER and Mr. Rouslan Kats, Counsellor for Political and Public Affairs at the Embassy of Canada in Ukraine. Our esteemed guests discussed the ways in which their work helps to build capacity in Read More…