Russia’s Strategy on NATO’S Eastern and Southern Flanks

Europe faces overlapping crises on its periphery. Up to now both NATO and the EU have favoured an approach which analyses the threats separately. Those who focus on the Mediterranean know little of Russia while Russia and Eastern European experts know even less of the southern and eastern rim Mediterranean countries. Issues and interests are however increasingly cross-linked if not intertwined and this risks seriously fragmenting NATO’s analysis. Different members of the EU and NATO have different perceptions, interests and therefore agendas which are linked to history and economics, possession or not of effective armies and energy dependence. The Russian factor is an obvious link between both flanks. Russia plays a central role in Eastern Europe and the Baltic area region. Its relevance in the South is increasing rapidly in Syria but it has long standing interests in Algeria. Russia is developing anti-access and area denial (A2/AD) bubbles along the Eastern and Southern flank that entail serious consequences for NATO operational planning. All these issues will be explored during this seminar gathering  experts with different areas of expertise and perspectives.