Please join the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security’s Transatlantic Security Initiative for Strengthening Black Sea security in a new era. This public event will take place Wednesday, June 8, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. EDT/18:30 to 20:15 CET at the Atlantic Council’s Headquarters in Washington, DC (1030 15th St NW, 20005) and on Zoom.

The Russian war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed transatlantic security and has renewed the need for enhanced defense and deterrence of NATO’s Eastern Flank. In particular, the Black Sea region, which has proven to be a crossroads of vulnerability in the conflict, requires a renewed strategic approach and strengthened cooperation. To craft this new approach, strategic partnerships, such as that between United States and Romania, which celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary this year, are uniquely positioned to enhance security in the Black Sea and reinforce defense as the region grapples with a new strategic reality. With this in mind, this public event will explore the role of Black Sea security in the broader quest for stability in the Euro-Atlantic area in the face of Russia’s war in Ukraine and will discuss how NATO and its members can address the complex threats to the region.

This conversation will take place at the Atlantic Council’s headquarters and will be broadcast on Zoom, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Register below to attend in-person or to join the Zoom broadcast. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to attend.

Agenda

Additional speakers to be announced.

Welcoming Remarks

General James L. Jones, Jr.
Executive Chairman Emeritus
Atlantic Council
Founder
Jones Group International

Introductory Remarks

H.E. Andrei Muraru
Ambassador of Romania to the United States

Panel: Transatlantic cooperation as a pillar of Black Sea security and defense

What is the level of threat posed by Russia to the Black Sea Region as Moscow’s war in Ukraine rages on? How can NATO and the US continue to adapt its defense and deterrence posture in this crucial crossroads area in the Alliance’s Southeastern flank? How can the US-Romania cooperation galvanize broader attention and engagement of littoral states and the NATO alliance for the region?

Jim Townsend
Adjunct Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security Program
Center for a New American Security
Senior Advisor, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
Atlantic Council

Catherine Sendak
Vicepresident for Policy and Projects
Business Executives for National Security
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
Atlantic Council

Pavel Popescu
Chairman, Committee for Defense, Public Order, and National Security
Romanian Chamber of Deputies

MODERATED BY
Leah Scheunemann
Deputy Director, Transatlantic Security Initiative, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
Atlantic Council

The Transatlantic Security Initiative, in the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, shapes and influences the debate on the greatest security challenges facing the North Atlantic Alliance and its key partners.