2014 Ahtisaari Symposium Keynote: The Crisis of Euro-Atlantic Security

On May 5, 2014, Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger – Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, and Distinguished Scholar with the Global Europe Program at the Wilson Center – delivered the keynote address on “The Crisis of Euro-Atlantic Security” at the 2014 Ahtisaari Symposium. Central to Ambassador Ischinger’s remarks was the crisis with Russia and Ukraine, which he believes forces the Euro-Atlantic community to clarify its priorities and provides an opportunity to refocus and revitalize the transatlantic partnership. The Ambassador argues that: “while the crisis has helped us get some of our priorities straight, none of this means our options are easy or clear-cut.” As the West continues to monitor the situation, Ambassador Ischinger advocates for a twin strategy of “denying Putin opportunities in Europe while pursuing a dialogue with him about cooperation in the interests of all…as difficult as that may be in current circumstances.” The Ambassador concluded his remarks by underlining the urgency of “explaining strategic objectives to each other, and laying the groundwork for a credible and sustainable re-affirmation of principles of European and global security.”

To read the full text of Ambassador Ischinger’s speech, please refer to the document below.