The webinar will be held at 16:00-17:00 EEST/15:00-16:00 CEST.
Over recent decades, both Democratic and Republican administrations have expanded programs to advance US national security by building Allied and partner capabilities, through NATO and bilaterally, to respond to shared challenges. These have included transfers of military equipment and support systems, review of critical technologies that could be transferred to Allies and partners, and advising partners on doctrine, training, and building effective defense organizations. Debate among European Allies on whether and, if so, how to increase their national and collective military capabilities goes back to at least 2014. For many, a preference for acquiring US systems was not only based on military-technical and economic considerations; it also was perceived to reinforce US security guarantees. The advent of the second Trump administration has led to questions in Europe regarding the reliability and credibility of US support. Some worry that US demands for Europe to boost defense investment will be accompanied by pressure to “buy American.”
In this episode of Transatlantic Currents, we will focus on the US Defense Department’s role in formulating and executing US policies regarding cooperation with Allies and partners, especially in light of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
Our guest, Mr. James Hursch, retired from the Senior Executive Service in July 2024, having served as Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Acting Secretary of Defense Representative in Europe and Defense Advisor for the US Mission to NATO, and Director of the Defense Technology Security Administration.
Programme:
Opening words:
Maria Lindén, Research Fellow, FIIA
Speaker:
James Hursch, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
Chair:
Leo Michel, Non-Resident Fellow, FIIA
Transatlantic Currents is a monthly webinar series hosted by FIIA’s Center on US Politics and Power featuring American experts on political science and international relations. The series covers a wide array of timely topics from foreign and defense policy to US domestic issues of particular interest to the transatlantic community. The webinars are hosted by FIIA Non-Resident Fellows, Ambassador (retired) Deborah McCarthy and Leo Michel.
The event is organized in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Finland.
