Event

The Military Power Seminar 2020: Transatlantic security relations after the US Presidential elections: What to expect?

We are delighted to welcome you to the Military Power Seminar 2020 – this year in a digital format! Join us in the discussion when we take a closer look at what the US Presidential election will mean for Norway’s security relations with the USA.

15 November 2020

09:00 Europe/Oslo

Language: English and Norwegian

Webinar

Seminar

Themes

View the live stream here.

The link will also be distributed to registered participants prior to the event. Therefore, please remember to register at the top of this page! PS: You will not receive an automatic confirmation email.

In many European capitals, there were sighs of relief in response to the news that Joe Biden will replace Donald Trump as president of the United States. Biden is expected to align much closer to European values and priorities than his soon-to-be predecessor. The President-elect appears to be a defender of the pre-Trump transatlantic order, and a staunch supporter of NATO, the Paris Agreement, and the Iran nuclear deal. Biden has strongly criticized the foreign and security policy of the Trump administration, and at the Munich Security Conference last year he promised that the United States “will be back.” But what does that mean? Can we ever expect everything to become as it were four years ago? Or will also a Biden administration change focus and priorities compared to the Obama presidency?

Is Biden, for instance, likely to continue to emphasize the Asia-Pacific and China over European affairs? How engaged will he be in the Middle East, Central Asia or Northern Africa? Will his administration continue to pressure Europe on burden-sharing in NATO? Will he expect Europe to deal with Ukraine, Belarus and other states surrounding Europe? How tough will he be on Russia?

Considering these questions, how prepared is Europe to meet US’ expectations and take more responsibility for its security? Will Europe strive towards strategic autonomy, and how would this affect the transatlantic relations and the future of NATO? Can Norway expect the same level of US support in the future?

The 22nd Military Power Seminar will bring together a wide variety of high-level experts and officials from across the transatlantic community. The event starts with an overlook of the strategic picture as seen from the US and Europe, respectively. It then moves to European security developments and responses, before zooming in on implications for Norwegian security and defense.

PROGRAMME

09:00-09:15: Opening

Welcome: Ulf Sverdrup, Director, NUPI
Opening remarks: Tone Skogen, State Secretary, MoD

09:15-10:00: Part 1: The strategic picture: What will the next four years bring?

Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference
Ian Brzezinski, Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, Atlantic Council, Washington DC
Moderator: Ulf Sverdrup, Director, NUPI

10:15-11:00: Part 2: European security and defence perspectives. What next?

Nathalie Tocci, Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali, Rome, and Special Advisor to EU High Representative Josep Borrell
Sophia Besch, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for European Reform
Marianne Riddervold, Professor, Inland University & NUPI
Moderator: Karsten Friis, Senior Research Fellow, NUPI

11:15-12:00: Part 3: (in Norwegian) Utviklingen i USA og betydningen for NATO og Norge

Brigader Gjermund Eide, Militærrådgiver til NATOs generalsekretær
Flaggkommandør Solveig Krey, Nestkommanderende i operasjonsavdelingen ved Forsvarsstaben (FST)
Oberst Terje Bruøygard, Sjef planseksjonen (J5) ved Forsvarets operative hovedkvarter (FOH)
Ordstyrer: Vegard Valther Hansen, Senior Adviser, NUPI