Speakers
(in alphabetical order)
Jacopo Barigazzi
Senior Defence Correspondent for Politico Europe
@jacopobarigazzi / @POLITICOEurope
Jacopo Barigazzi is a Senior Defence Correspondent for Politico Europe, where he has covered defence for ten years, as well as other files like EU politics. Before Politico, he worked at CNBC, Reuters, and Newsweek. He holds an MA cum laude in epistemology from Milan University and studied international journalism at London City University.
Max Bergmann
Director of Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Programme, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
Max Bergmann is the Director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Programme and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Prior to joining CSIS, he was a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, where he focused on Europe, Russia, and US security cooperation. From 2011 to 2017, he served in the US Department of State in several positions, including as a member of the secretary of state’s policy planning staff, where he focused on political-military affairs and non-proliferation; special assistant to the undersecretary for arms control and international security; speechwriter to then Secretary of State John Kerry; and senior adviser to the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. Mr Bergmann holds a master’s degree in comparative politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Cristian Bizadea
Former Deputy Director of the Intelligence Service of Romania
Lieutenant General (Ret) Dr Cristian Bizadea is working as an independent business consultant, focused on strategic projects and international business development. He was, until 2024, a senior Romanian intelligence official with almost 25 years of management, operational, and analytical experience at the national level and in multinational formats. Lt Gen Dr Bizadea was appointed Deputy Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service in 2016. He was a university lecturer (PhD) at the University of Bucharest and the National Intelligence Academy.
Adrian Ciolponea
Supreme Allied Command Representative in Europe at NATO ACT
– / @NATO_ACT
Major General Adrian Ciolponea was appointed as Supreme Allied Command Transformation Representative in Europe at NATO HQ in August 2023. Prior to this, he was the Land Component Commander and a Special Advisor to the Defence Minister in Romania. Having started his military career in 1988, Maj Gen Ciolponea has been assigned to numerous command and staff positions for operations and training, reconnaissance, special operations and airborne operations, both in Romania and abroad. Currently, he is pursuing a PhD in the use and integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) in military operations.
Guido Crosetto
Minister of Defence of Italy
@GuidoCrosetto / @MinisteroDifesa
Guido Crosetto has been the Minister of Defence of Italy since 22 October 2022. At the same time, he was appointed Chancellor and Treasurer of the Military Order of Italy. He began his political career as Regional Secretary of the youth movement within the Christian Democratic Party and was also the National Education Officer. Once elected as a Member of Parliament for the Forza Italia party (2001-06), he served on numerous parliamentary committees. In the 16th Parliament, as an MP for the Popolo delle Libertà party, he took office as Undersecretary of State for Defence in the fourth Berlusconi government (2008-11). In 2012, he founded Fratelli d’Italia with Giorgia Meloni and Ignazio La Russa and served as National Coordinator until 2014. In 2014, he was appointed President of the Federation of Italian Companies for Aerospace, Defence, and Security. In 2018, he was elected to the 18th Parliament in the ranks of Fratelli d’Italia. Minister Crosetto has received the Gold Medal of Merit of the Italian Red Cross.
Oleksandr V Danylyuk
Chairman of the Center for Defense Reforms
Oleksandr V Danylyuk is the Chairman of the Center for Defense Reforms. Throughout his career, he has closely cooperated with the Ukrainian government structures in the defence, security, and intelligence sectors. In 2014, he was the Chief Advisor to the Minister of Defence of Ukraine. He subsequently served as a Special Advisor to the Head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine, Assistant to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and, for many years, was also a member of the Parliamentary Working Group on Countering Hybrid Threats. For the past few years, he has been the coordinator of the Ukraine-NATO platform for the early detection and countering of hybrid threats. His main field of practical and academic expertise is Russian multidimensional warfare, active measures, and subversive activities of Russian and Soviet special services, as well as whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches to countering Russian hybrid aggression.
Michel Duclos
Senior Fellow at the Institut Montaigne
Ambassador Michel Duclos is now a senior fellow at the Institut Montaigne in Paris and an author. Previously, he had a long career as a French diplomat. Among other postings, he served in Moscow, Brussels (EU), and New York and as ambassador to Damascus, then Switzerland.
Tuuli Duneton
Undersecretary for Defence Policy at the Ministry of Defence of Estonia
– / @MoD_Estonia
Tuuli Duneton assumed the position of Undersecretary for Defence Policy at the Estonian Ministry of Defence in February 2022. In this role, she is responsible for shaping and planning Estonia’s defence policy and coordinating international defence cooperation, including within NATO and the European Union. Prior to this current position, she served as the Director of the Policy Planning Department (2017-22). Ms Duneton joined the Estonian Ministry of Defence in 2005 and has held various defence policy positions, including the Director of NATO and EU Department (2010-12) and the Director of Defence Section and Defence Counsellor at the Estonian Permanent Representation to NATO (2012-15). Ms Duneton has worked as a member of the International Staff at NATO Headquarters, where she served as Estonia’s national expert in the Defence Policy and Planning Department.
Mike Elviss
Commander of the Field Army of the British Army
– / @BritishArmy
Lieutenant General Mike Elviss was commissioned into the Royal Regiment of Artillery in August 1995, joining the 29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery, and then returned to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an instructor before his initial selection for sub-unit command in 2002. He deployed to Iraq twice in 2003 in artillery and infantry roles. Attendance on the Army Command and Staff Course followed prior to his appointment as COS 20X and a return to Iraq. In 2008, he returned to battery command and deployed to Afghanistan. Lt Gen Elviss commanded 20X between July 2016 and July 2018, including a year as NATO’s VHR Task Force (Land) and the Vanguard Armoured Brigade. He became a member of the Royal College of Defence Studies in September 2018, prior to filling the post of ACOS Ops in HQ Field Army. Lt Gen Elviss became GOC 3(UK)XX in February 2020 and was subsequently COS (Ops) at the UK’s Permanent Joint Headquarters between October 2021 and February 2024. Lt Gen Elviss assumed command of the Field Army on 18 March 2024.
Alexandre Escorcia
Director for Euro-Atlantic Security at the Ministry for the Armed Forces of France
Alexandre Escorcia, a career diplomat, assumed the position of Director for Euro-Atlantic Security in the Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy of the French Ministry for the Armed Forces in September 2023. Prior to this assignment, he served as the Deputy Permanent Representative of France to NATO, beginning in September 2019. Mr Escorcia has also held the roles of Deputy Director of Policy Planning and Advisor to the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs and of First Secretary in the French Embassy in Germany. He had previously served as Diplomatic Advisor to Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT) and as a desk officer on European Defence and NATO in the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. Mr Escorcia is an alumnus of the École Normale Supérieure (rue d’Ulm) and the Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris and holds a degree in history from the Université Paris IV – Sorbonne.
Andreas Flåm
State Secretary to the Minister of Defence of Norway
– / @Forsvarsdep
Andreas Flåm was appointed State Secretary to the Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik in February 2025. He is an experienced advisor and political professional with a strong background in defence policy, high north issues, and regional development. Mr Flåm previously served as an advisor in the Planning and Society Department of Bodø Municipality and has also held the position of political advisor in Nordland County Council. He has over 15 years of experience working in public administration and higher education, with a focus on strategic advising, political processes, and industry collaboration.
Francois-Marie Gougeon
Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning at NATO HQ
– / @NATO
Francois-Marie Gougeon was appointed to the post of Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Defence Policy and Planning at NATO HQ in September 2024. Throughout his military career as a Marine officer, he gained international experience through a number of NATO postings as well as operational deployments, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa and East Africa. From 2016 to 2019, he served as Deputy Director for Defence Strategy at the French Ministry of Defence’s Directorate General for Internal Relations and Strategic Affairs, where he played a leading role in drafting the 2017 National Strategic Security Review. Prior to his current position, Mr Gougeon served as Director for Policy and Capabilities at NATO’s International Military Staff. An alumnus of the Centre des Hautes Etudes Militaires and of the Institut des Hautes Etudes de Defense Nationale, he holds a master’s degree in military studies from the US Marine Corps University and is a graduate of the US Marine Corps Command and Staff College.
Joanne Hamer, MBE
Director Euro-Atlantic Security at the UK Ministry of Defence
– / @DefenceHQ
Joanne Hamer, MBE, assumed the post of Director Euro-Atlantic Security in January 2024. She is responsible for maintaining and developing relationships with key strategic partners and allies through bilateral defence-to-defence relationships or in multilateral fora such as NATO, the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), and the EU, as well as developing and delivering policy to counter Russia and leading the Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) work to support Ukraine. She was the Head of Euro-Atlantic Security Policy, a joint MoD and Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) unit leading on UK policies on NATO, the EU, and OSCE. Ms Hamer was formerly the Head of International and Industrial Capability Strategy and worked at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom as the inaugural Head of the Development Faculty. She led the Ukraine Team in the MoD with responsibility for shaping the UK Defence policy and contribution to Operation ORBITAL. This followed a secondment as the Head of Maritime Security in the FCDO’s Security Policy Department. She worked as the Policy Advisor (POLAD) to the European Union’s Operation ATALANTA. She has also operated as the Brigade POLAD in Iraq and the Policy and Plans Officer providing support to the Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus. In addition to an MBA, she also holds an MA in Defence Studies from King’s College London.
Toomas Hanso
Research Fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)
Toomas Hanso is a China expert focusing on PRC domestic and foreign policy, as well as Sino-Russian and international relations. He holds a first-class MA from the University of Edinburgh in Chinese & Linguistics, also having studied under the Taiwan-Europe Connectivity Scholarship at National Donghwa University in Hualien, Taiwan (2021-2022), and as recipient of the Confucius Institute Scholarship at Yunnan University in Kunming, China (2023-2024). In China, he passed the HSK6 Chinese-language exam (C1 equivalent). Having joined ICDS in October 2024, Toomas has made multiple publications, regularly comments on China-related news in Estonian media, and represents Estonia at the European Think-tank Network on China.
Viktoria Hjort Malmer
Defence Policy Director at the Ministry of Defence of Sweden
– / @ForsvarsdepSv
Viktoria Hjort Malmer is the Defence Policy Director and Head of the Division for Security Policy at the Ministry of Defence of Sweden. Ms Hjort Malmer has previously held several positions within the Ministry of Defence, as well as at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2006-07, she worked at the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom, and in 2008, she was employed by the Swedish Armed Forces as a Political Advisor. Until recently, Ms Hjort Malmer held the position of Deputy Head of the Department for Security Policy and International Relations at the Ministry of Defence. Ms Hjort Malmer received her master’s degree in international relations and political science in 2002 from the University of Lund, Sweden. She also studied at the University of Columbia, New York, in 2000. Between 2003-04, she attended the Government Offices Trainee Programme.
Robin Häggblom
Senior Advisor at Risk Intelligence A/S
Robin Häggblom—also known under the pen name Corporal Frisk—is a Finnish defence analyst working as a Senior Advisor for Risk Intelligence A/S. He has a background in the maritime industry and geospatial intelligence and holds an MSc in technology from the University of Oulu. His texts have been published by, amongst others, the Swedish Defence Research Agency, Chatham House, The Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, and Foreign Policy. He did his conscript service as a landing craft skipper for the Finnish Marines and is an NCO in the Finnish naval reserve.
Lara Jakes
Foreign Correspondent at the New York Times
Lara Jakes is a foreign correspondent at The New York Times, focused on conflict diplomacy and weapons in Ukraine and the Middle East. She has reported and edited from more than 70 countries over the last three decades, covered active combat in Afghanistan, and served as a war correspondent in Iraq for three years, including one as Baghdad bureau chief for The Associated Press. For the vast majority of her career, she worked in Washington, covering diplomacy, counterterrorism, rule of law and defence policy, including as a State Department and Pentagon correspondent.
Vahur Karus
Chief of Staff of the Joint Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces
Major General Vahur Karus is the Chief of Staff of the Joint Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces since June 2024. He has been serving in the Estonian Defence Forces since 1993. Besides Estonia, he received his military education in Sweden and the United States. He has served as the Commander of the Scouts Battalion, the Military Advisor to the Chief of Defence of Estonia, and the Deputy Head of the National Defence Planning Department at the Ministry of Defence of Estonia. Prior to becoming the rector of the Estonian Military Academy, Maj Gen Karus was the Commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade. From 2002 to 2003, he participated in an overseas mission in Kosovo, and from 2006 to 2007, he was the Commander of the Estonian contingent in Afghanistan. Maj Gen Karus has been recognised with several awards, including for participation in international military operations, the Land Officer’s Gold Cross, the Scouts Battalion Decoration, the Defence Forces Decoration, and the Service Cross for Meritorious Service in National Defence.
Marko Kaseleht
Senior Vice President of Defence at Nortal
@KaselehtMarko / @NortalGlobal
Marko Kaseleht is Senior Vice President of Defence at Nortal, where he leads the expansion of interoperable, software‑defined defence capabilities. Previously, as CEO & Founder of SensusQ, he led AI‑driven intelligence‑management innovation and now continues to support its mission as a board member and advisor. A former combat operator and seasoned defence‑industry strategist, Mr Kaseleht brings operational insight and transformation leadership into digital defence systems across NATO and EU countries.
Giedrius Krupauskas
Deputy Director of the State Security Department of Lithuania
Giedrius Krupauskas is the Deputy Director of Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD), the country’s civilian intelligence and counterintelligence service. In this role, he directs the delivery of all-source intelligence to national decision-makers and international partners. Over his 15-year career at VSD, he has led the Analysis Division and served at NATO HQ in Brussels.
Kaimo Kuusk
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Estonia
Kaimo Kuusk is the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Estonia, a position he assumed in September 2024. Mr Kuusk is responsible for leading the work of the ministry and coordinating the activities of the Estonian Defence Forces, the Foreign Intelligence Service, the Centre for Defence Investment, the Defence Resources Agency, the Estonian War Museum, as well as the Defence League. Before being appointed as Permanent Secretary, he served as Estonia’s Ambassador to Lithuania. Prior to that, Mr Kuusk was the Estonian Ambassador to Ukraine, where he coordinated the delivery of Estonia’s military aid following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. From 1998 to 2019, Mr Kuusk held various positions in the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, with the last nine years as Deputy Director General. In 2019, he began working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Bureau.
Sang Hyun Lee
Senior Research Fellow of the Sejong Institute
Dr Sang Hyun Lee is a Senior Research Fellow of the Sejong Institute, board member of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management-Korea (INMM-K), and board member of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network (APLN) for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament. He served as President of the Sejong Institute (2021-24), researcher at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, Director-General for Policy Planning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, a guest researcher at the Stockholm Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) in Sweden, and a visiting researcher at the Stimson Center in Washington, DC. His main research interests include international politics and security, Korea-US relations, inter-Korean relations, nuclear security and nonproliferation, and East Asian security issues. His recent publications include Understanding South Korea’s National Security (2025, co-authored) and Simultaneity of Geopolitical Risks and the Networked Strategy in Military-Security Affairs (2024).
Kyrre Lohne
Vice President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS
Kyrre Lohne is Vice President for Governmental Relations and Business Development at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS, a business area within Kongsberg Gruppen ASA (KONGSBERG). Since joining Kongsberg in 1995, Mr Lohne has held different positions of increasing responsibility within marketing and business development. Mr Lohne assumed the position as Vice President for Strategic Communication in 2010, Vice President for Strategic Business Development in 2020, and Vice President for Governmental Relations in 2023, bringing 30 years of experience in the international defence sector. Prior to joining Kongsberg, Mr Lohne was Sales Manager in Jotron, a global ship equipment company. Mr Lohne has extensive experience in developing international marketing and sales networks, government relations and strategic industrial partnerships.
Jade McGlynn
Research Fellow at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London / Non-Resident Research Fellow at International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)
Dr Jade McGlynn has been a Research Fellow in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London (KCL) since 2023, a non-resident Senior Research Associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and a non-resident Research Fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) since 2025. Her research focuses on socio-political drivers and impacts of Russia’s war on Ukraine since 2014. She is the author of numerous academic articles and two books: Russia’s War (2023) and Memory Makers: The Politics of the Past in Putin’s Russia (2023) which examined myth making and popular support for aggression against Ukraine in Russia. Dr McGlynn received her DPhil from the University of Oxford in 2020, where she previously worked as a lecturer in Russian. A frequent contributor to international media, Dr McGlynn regularly consults governments and other entities in relation to Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine. Today she splits her time between Estonia and eastern Ukraine, where she cooperates with various military units and advises allied governments on political strategy and unconventional warfare in relation to the war.
Molly K McKew
Lead Writer at greatpower.us
Molly K McKew is a writer and researcher of Russian influence and information warfare. She is the lead writer of greatpower.us. From 2009-13, she was an adviser to the President of Georgia and the Georgian National Security Council. She has also worked on projects in Moldova, Ukraine, and the Baltic states, including efforts to bring accountability for Russian war crimes in Ukraine. She teaches courses on Russian hybrid warfare and Russian information operations. She serves as a member of the advisory board for Defend Democracy.
John Mead
Deputy Commander of the Joint Force Command Brunssum
– / @NATOJFCBS
Lieutenant General John Mead has been serving as the Deputy Commander of the Joint Force Command Brunssum since December 2024. Lt Gen John Mead was commissioned into the Royal Artillery in 1991, with regimental duty in 29 Commando Regiment, 3rd Regiment Royal Horse Artillery (3 RHA), and 7 Para RHA. Staff appointments included Joint Planning roles in the UK’s Joint Forces HQ and in HQ ISAF Joint Command, as well as three postings to Army HQ in the Strategy and Personnel directorates. He attended the Staff College in Australia in 2004. Lt Gen Mead commanded the 1st Artillery Brigade and was Chief of Staff of the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps and DCOS Plans, Joint Forces Command Naples. He has seen operational service in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, where he deployed five times. He deployed on Operation Highbrow to evacuate UK nationals from Lebanon in 2006 and led NATO’s task force to evacuate NATO Afghan employees on Operation Allied Solace in 2021.
Andrus Merilo
Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces
– / @Kaitsevagi
Lieutenant General Andrus Merilo is the Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces. He started his military service in 1992 as a conscript in the Kuperjanov Infantry Battalion and continued his career in the Estonian Infantry Company of the Baltic Battalion. Lt Gen Merilo has served in numerous positions in the Defence Forces, including the Chief of Operations Department of the Headquarters of the Estonian Defence Forces, Chief of Administration for the Chief of Defence, Commander of the Scouts Battalion, and Commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade. His military education includes studies in the Finnish National Defence University, Command and General Staff College, and Army War College in the US. Lt Gen Merilo has been deployed to Lebanon, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
Kristen Michal
Prime Minister of Estonia
@KristenMichalPM / @EstonianGovt
Kristen Michal has served as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia since July 2024. Before assuming this position, he was the Minister of Climate (2023-24), a ministry he founded from scratch. Prime Minister Michal previously held ministerial portfolios in economic affairs and infrastructure (2015-16) and justice (2011-12). He was a member of the 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, and 14th Riigikogu (The Parliament of Estonia), where he headed several committees. In 2003-11, Prime Minister Michal was the Secretary General of the Estonian Reform Party. He was an Advisor to the Prime Minister (2002) and an Advisor to the Minister of Regional Affairs and the Head of the Minister’s Office (2001-02).
Nicholas Nelson
General Partner at Archangel / Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)
Nicholas Nelson is the leading investor at the forefront of European defence technology. He is the General Partner at Archangel, Europe’s first defence-first venture capital fund, where he backs breakthrough deep tech startups across Europe. Prior to this, he held senior roles in early-stage venture capital, aerospace, defence, and government, including deploying to Afghanistan. Outside of venture capital, Mr Nelson is a Research Fellow at the University of Oxford and a Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis, where his research bridges national security, emerging tech, and private capital. He’s an elected Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and his writing and insights have appeared in the Financial Times, the BBC, Politico, and Sifted.
Jacob Parakilas
Research Leader for Defence Strategy, Policy, and Capabilities at RAND Europe
– / @RANDEurope
Dr Jacob Parakilas is Research Leader for Defence Strategy, Policy, and Capabilities at RAND Europe. Previously, Dr Parakilas worked on the US-UK defence relationship as part of the State Department’s Political-Military team at Embassy London. Dr Parakilas also lived in Lagos, Nigeria, where he consulted and wrote a column on defence technology and the future of warfare. Prior to that, he was the deputy head of the US programme at Chatham House, working on issues relating to the US role in the world and foreign perceptions of America. In that role, he led the development of the operational concept for the Chatham House Simulation Centre and coordinated seven policy wargames. He has also worked as Head of Weapons at Action on Armed Violence, an NGO working on armed violence reduction worldwide, and at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, certifying American educational institutions to support the issuance of student visas.
Johannes Peters
Head of the Maritime Strategy and Security Department at the Institute for Security Policy Kiel
Johannes Peters heads the Center for Maritime Strategy & Security (CMSS) at the Institute for Security Policy Kiel (ISPK), where his research focuses on undersea warfare and the broader undersea domain. As a project manager, he is responsible for the annual Kiel International Seapower Symposium (KISS), Europe’s dedicated maritime security conference. Prior to joining the CMSS, Mr Peters worked for the German Shipowners’ Association (VDR) in Hamburg as a director for security policy. He was responsible for the VDR´s position on piracy, mass migration, and the security implications of the Crimean annexation for commercial shipping. He represented the VDR in the relevant bodies in Germany, the EU, and the IMO. He has held numerous presentations at maritime security events both at home and abroad, teaches at Kiel University, and is a frequent contributor to broadcast and subject matter media alike. He holds an MA in politics from the University of Kiel.
Hanno Pevkur
Minister of Defence of Estonia
Hanno Pevkur has been the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Estonia since 2022. Prior to that, he was a member of the 13th and 14th Riigikogu (The Parliament of Estonia) from 2016 to 2022. He held several ministerial positions: Minister of the Interior (2014-16), Minister of Justice (2012-14), and Minister of Social Affairs (responsible for the fields of work, health, and social protection). Having started his career in law, he went on to serve in the Nõmme District Administration in Tallinn (2000-05), first as an administrative secretary and later as city district elder. In 2005-07, he was a member of the Tallinn City Council, chairman of the Nõmme District Administrative Board, and an advisor to the Minister of Justice. In 2007-09, he was a member of the 11th Riigikogu.
Alexandra Prokopenko
Fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Alexandra Prokopenko is a fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. In her research, she focuses on Russian government policymaking on economic and financial issues. From 2017 until early 2022, Ms Prokopenko worked at the Central Bank of Russia and at the Higher School of Economics (HSE) in Moscow. She is a former columnist for Vedomosti. She is a graduate of Moscow State University and holds an MA in Sociology from the University of Manchester. She was a visiting fellow at the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).
Kristi Raik
Director at the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)
Dr Kristi Raik is the Director of ICDS from 1 January 2025. She is also an Adjunct Professor of International Relations at the University of Turku. She has previously served as the Deputy Director of ICDS, Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute at the ICDS, Senior Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs and official at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union. Her main areas of expertise are European security, strategic competition in Eastern Europe, EU foreign and security policy, and foreign and security policies of the Baltic states and Finland. She has published in high-ranking academic journals (e.g. Geopolitics, European Security, Cooperation and Conflict) and media outlets (incl. Foreign Policy). She is a frequent commentator in the international media and has provided expert contributions to the Estonian, Finnish, EU and NATO institutions. Kristi has a PhD from the University of Turku.
Filip Rudnik
Research Fellow at the Centre for Eastern Studies
Filip Rudnik has been a Research Fellow at the Russian Department of the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) since 2023. Previously, he worked as an analyst of energy markets in the private sector. A graduate of the double-degree IMCEERES master’s programme at the University of Glasgow and the University of Tartu, during which he conducted a one-year research project in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Mr Rudnik is a regular contributor to Polish media outlets.
Takahiro Sasaki
Visiting Professor at Hiroshima University
– / @HiroshimaUnivEn
Dr Takahiro Sasaki is Rear Admiral (Ret) of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). After graduating from the National Defense Academy of Japan (Electrical Engineering) in 1986, he joined the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. He subsequently served as a liaison officer for the US Navy’s Third Fleet Command, a student at the Australian Naval Staff College, Commanding Officer of the destroyer “JS Yubetsu,” Defence Attaché at the Embassy of Japan in Russia, Section Chief of the Analysis Department of the Ministry of Defense Intelligence Headquarters, a student at the UK Defence Intelligence School, Commander of the 8th Escort Division, cyber planning and coordinator at the Joint Staff Office, chief of the Hiroshima Provintial Cooperation Office of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, Commander of the C4I Systems Center, and Commander of the Shimonoseki Sub Area Activity of Sasebo Reginal District, before retiring from the Ministry of Defense in 2018 (PhD).
Jüri Saska
Project manager Euroguard at Baltic Workboats
Commodore (Ret) Jüri Saska served as Commander of the Estonian Navy from 2017 until retirement, leading key reforms in modernisation, fleet consolidation, and international cooperation. Born in 1974, he began his career as a conscript in 1993 and graduated from the Swedish Naval Academy in 1998. He commanded minehunters, served in the Baltic Naval Squadron, and later led EML Admiral Pitka, the first Baltic ship in NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1. A US Naval War College graduate, he also trained in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden, He holds degrees from Tallinn University of Technology and an MA from Salve Regina University. He launched the trilateral Naval Vision 2030+ with Latvia and Lithuania and oversaw the integration of the Police and Border Guard fleet into the Navy.
Laura Solanko
Senior Advisor to the Bank of Finland Institute for Economies in Transition
Dr Laura Solanko is a Senior Advisor at the Bank of Finland Institute for Economies in Transition (BOFIT), currently responsible for Russian economic policies, banking sector developments, and energy markets. Her current research focuses on empirical banking and political economy, with ongoing research projects on political lending cycles in Russia and the effects of sanctions on listed European firms. Her research has been published in the Journal of Banking and Finance, Public Choice, Review of International Economics, and Russian Journal of Money and Finance. She holds a PhD from the University of Helsinki.
Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar
Chair of the Steering Group of the UDCG IT Coalition
Ambassador Heli Tiirmaa-Klaar is the Chair of the Steering Group of the UDCG IT Coalition. She also serves as Distinguished Fellow at the Technology Programme of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. In 2022-24, Amb Tiirmaa-Klaar was the Director of Digital Society Institute at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin. In 2018-21, she was serving as Ambassador for Cyber Diplomacy and Director General for the Cyber Diplomacy Department at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she led the Estonian efforts to promote norms of responsible state behaviour in cyberspace at the United Nations Security Council. Until 2018, Amb Tiirmaa-Klaar was working as the Head of Cyber Policy Coordination at the European External Action Service, where she coordinated EU external relations on cyber issues and co-led preparations of European Cyber Security Strategies since 2012. In 2011, she was assigned to the NATO International Staff to prepare the NATO Cyber Defence Policy.
Mari-Liis Tori
Deputy Director General of the Internal Security Service of Estonia
– / @kaitsepolitsei
Mari-Liis Tori has been the Deputy Director General of the Estonian Internal Security Service since May 2025. She has worked in the service for 20 years.
Michael Vetter
Director-General for Cyber and Information Technology at the Federal Ministry of Defence of Germany
– / @BMVg_Bundeswehr
Lieutenant General Michael Vetter has been Director-General for Cyber and Information Technology and Chief Information Officer at the Federal Ministry of Defence in Berlin since April 2019. After joining the Bundeswehr in 1982 and completing officer training, he studied Economics and Management. After several troop and staff assignments, he was Commander of 2 Air Force Maintenance Regiment in Diepholz (2005-07) and headed the Bundeswehr Logistics Centre in Wilhelmshaven (2012-17). In this position, he was responsible for worldwide logistic support of the Bundeswehr. During this time, he was also ISAF Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics at Regional Command North in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan, in 2013. In 2017, he became the first Chief of Staff of the newly established Bundeswehr Cyber and Information Domain Service Headquarters. From 2017 to 2018, Lt Gen Vetter also performed the duties of Vice Chief of the Cyber and Information Domain Service.
Jonatan Vseviov
Secretary General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia
Jonatan Vseviov assumed office as the Secretary General of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in February 2021. Previously, Vseviov has held the positions of Estonia´s Ambassador to the United States, Permanent Secretary of the Estonian Ministry of Defence (MoD), Undersecretary for Defence Planning, and Acting Undersecretary for Defence Policy of the MoD. Mr Vseviov has had a leading role in shaping Estonia´s foreign and defence policy and is the author of several policy papers.
Iwona Wiśniewska
Senior Fellow at the Centre for Eastern Studies
– / @OSW_eng
Iwona Wiśniewska has been an analyst at the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) since February 2000, initially at the Economy Department, and subsequently at the Russian Department. Previously, he served as First Secretary of Economic Affairs of the Embassy of Poland in Astana (2012-14) and Head of the Economic Department of the Embassy of Poland in Moscow (2014-16).
Vadym Yunyk
Founder of RoGuard Systems
Vadym Yunyk is one of the founders of the drone movement in Ukraine. In 2025, he founded RoGuard Systems, a company that set itself the goal of creating and manufacturing high-precision weapons. He has been part of the Aerorozvidka (aerial reconnaissance) volunteer movement since 2014 and, from 2016 to 2021, served in the Ukrainian army. Under his leadership, the first strike drone R-18, known as Baba Yaga, was created in 2017, and has been officially used on the front lines since 2019. In 2019, he founded FRDM, a well-known manufacturer of drones (UAVs) and robotic platforms (UGVs).
(the list of speakers is subject to change)
