Venue: Espacio Bertelsmann
Tuesday, 18th November 2025, from 12:00 to 13:30 h. CET (UTC+1). Venue: Espacio Bertelsmann (C/ O’Donnell 10, Madrid).
NATO finds itself in a period of profound transformation and mounting geopolitical instability. After The Hague Summit in 2025, where Allies agreed to invest more in their defence, there remain questions about how to maintain collective defence and deterrence, especially in a context where Russia continues to meddle in European security.
This event, ‘Preventing War, Defending More: The Strengthening of NATO’, will explore how the Alliance is adapting its deterrence and defence posture to confront emerging threats – from Russia’s revisionism and hybrid warfare to challenges.
Bringing together policymakers, scholars and practitioners, the discussion will assess NATO’s efforts to reinforce transatlantic solidarity, modernise its force structure and deepen cooperation with partners.
Ultimately, the event will examine how NATO can develop further credible deterrence at a time when European allies are being asked to shoulder more of the defence burden.
See also:
Burden sharing: real solidarity or arbitrary mathematics in NATO and the EU? Juan Castilla (English version). 30 July 2025.
Thinking about NATO-EU relations in wartime. Luis Simón (English version). 31 May 2024.
The impact of Russia on the resilience of NATO and the Southern Neighbourhood. Mira Mlosevich-Juaristi. 7 May 2024.
Hashtag: #TransformaciónOTAN
Programme
Welcome: José Juan Ruiz, Chairman, Elcano Royal Institute | @ElcanoJjRuiz
Opening remarks: Diego Martínez Belío, State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and Cooperation of Spain
Roundtable:
- Carlos Carnero, Former member of the NATO Independent Expert Group on the Southern Neighbourhood | @CarlosCarneroG1
- Daniel Fiott, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Real Instituto Elcano | @DanielFiott
- Robert Pszczel, Senior Fellow, OSW Warsaw | @RobertPszczel
- Anna Wieslander, Director for Northern Europe, Atlantic Council | @AnnwieAnna
Moderator: Luis Simón, Director of the Office in Brussels and Senior Fellow, Elcano Royal Institute | @LuisSimn
– Simultaneous translation English/Spanish will be available.
– If you are planning to attend in-person, please send RSVP to actividades@rielcano.org.
– The event will also be live streamed in Spanish, English or original version. Online attendance does not require registration.
Image: NATO day in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) in April 2025. Photo: NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
