The San Diego World Affairs Council Presents
“NATO Expansion Today: What You Should Know about the Russian-Ukraine War & its Global Implications"
featuring:
Dr. James Goldgeier
Saturday June 29, 2024
11:00am - 1:00pm
Royal India Miramar
8990 Miramar Road #200 ,San Diego, CA 92126
About the Program
Professor Goldgeier’s discussion on the NATO alliance and its role in today's world comes at a key time; this April marked the 75th anniversary of NATO, and Washington, D.C. will host a NATO Summit coming July 2024. Professor Goldgeier’s presentation will include a discussion and analysis of the complicated issues vis-a-vis NATO enlargement, the threats and opportunities it poses, specifically for the Russia-Ukraine war, and the broader global implications and possible ramifications. The NATO alliance is vital in protecting peace in Europe and promoting cooperation among the members. The US benefits greatly from NATO and its allies, and NATO simultaneously benefits from US involvement. As V/A Martoglio pointed out in his May presentation, America presents a much stronger front with its allies. An example of this is economic; the combined GDP of the US and its allies is much larger than that of other individual nations. The economic influence that the US brings in its membership to NATO is important in serving the purpose of the alliance.
Why is NATO so valuable? Preserving peace is crucial amidst growing conflicts in Europe and the world. Presenting a formidable front deters rising turmoil and works to limit or even stop the advances of war. Examples of this in today’s world include the severe sanctions NATO has placed on Russia for its violent involvement in war with Ukraine. NATO’s strategic enlargement is critical. The acceptance of Finland into the alliance last year and Sweden this year shows the growing strength and importance of NATO and the value nations see in it. When countries near those in conflict express their desire to join the alliance, it demonstrates the power of NATO in deterrence and even in defense preparation. As Professor Goldgeier will discuss in his presentation, the state of the alliance is essential in determining its current capabilities and responses to future global events.
Why is NATO enlargement and strength important to San Diego? Peace and security in every city in America, and the world, are essential. The world is increasingly interlinked and interdependent; therefore, threats to allies impact us all. San Diego is uniquely and strategically positioned and is home to many Navy and Marine Corps bases. Our San Diego community is personally both involved in and impacted by threats to allies. The power of NATO’s combined military alliances demonstrates a tremendous deterrent to threats to peace. Awareness of these global threats and the need for deterrence or containment sometimes requires action by our US military personnel and related community. We (San Diego County citizens) must be well-informed about where, when, how, why, and with whom we align and defend. As NATO partners, our role is critical in determining the path ahead.
About Dr. James Goldgeier
James Goldgeier is a Professor of International Relations and served as Dean of the School of International Service at American University from 2011-17. He is a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University's Center on International Security and Cooperation and a Visiting Fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. He serves as the chair of the State Department Historical Advisory Committee and is a member of the Secretary of State's International Security Advisory Board. He was a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations from 2017-19, and in 2018-19, he held the inaugural Library of Congress Chair in U.S.-Russia Relations at the John W. Kluge Center. Previously, he was a professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University. He also taught at Cornell University, and has held a number of public policy appointments, including Director for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian Affairs on the National Security Council Staff, Whitney Shepardson Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, Henry A. Kissinger Chair at the Library of Congress, and Edward Teller National Fellow at the Hoover Institution. From 2001-2005, he directed George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies. His most recent books are Evaluating NATO Enlargement: From Cold War Victory to the Russia-Ukraine War (co-edited with Joshua R. Itzkowitz Shifrinson) and Foreign Policy Careers for PhDs: A Practical Guide to a World of Possibilities (co-authored with Tamara Cofman Wittes). He is the recipient of the Edgar S. Furniss book award in national and international security and co-recipient of the Georgetown University Lepgold Book Prize in international relations.
Professor Goldgeier serves as a senior adviser to the Bridging the Gap initiative, which encourages and trains scholars and doctoral students to produce research oriented policy-relevant scholarship and theoretically grounded policy work, and he is co-editor of the Bridging the Gap Book Series at Oxford University Press.
Professor Goldgeier is past president of the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (2015-2017).
Professor Goldgeier’s areas of expertise include contemporary international relations, American foreign policy, U.S.-Russia relations, the European Union, transatlantic security and NATO.
