Events

On March 29, 2004, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia formally acceded to NATO in what was the biggest enlargement round in the history of the Alliance. Since then, the seven countries, which represent much of NATO‘s eastern flank, have contributed extensively to the implementation of NATO‘s core tasks and policy priorities, and to this day remain among the most active and supportive members of the Alliance. Since Lithuania hosted the NATO Summit in 2023 and the Netherlands are poised to host one in 2025, this event will provide a unique opportunity to combine an anniversary celebration and a focused discussion on the past, present and future of the North Atlantic Alliance. This event, therefore, will focus both on highlighting the impact of the 2004 enlargement, as well as the challenges NATO faces on its eastern flank and how the Alliance can face those.

Two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war continues to cause extreme civilian harm and military casualties and has changed Ukrainian society to the core. Two years of war in Europe also changed perceptions of NATO and the defence policies of European countries, whilst the EU decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine. Yet, war in the Middle East and rising tensions in Asia have also directed international attention away from Ukraine. Promised weapon deliveries materialise slower than foreseen, and public support for Ukraine is not as self-evident as it was just after the invasion.

At this event we will look ahead to some of the main questions that will be on the agenda of the Vilnius summit. This notably includes how the alliance can rise to the challenge and credibly reinforce its defence and deterrence capabilities.

Op 24 februari 2023 is het exact 1 jaar geleden dat Rusland buurland Oekraïne binnenviel en een oorlog begon. Op deze dag reflecteerden volgers van Instituut Clingendael samen met onze experts op de gebeurtenissen. Welke lessen trekken de deskundigen uit het afgelopen jaar? En wat verwachten ze voor de toekomst?

Op donderdag 10 maart bespreken experts in het Nutshuis in Den Haag de meest recente ontwikkelingen rond de Oekraïne-oorlog.