THE EASTERN EUROPE STUDIES CENTRE BECOMES THE GEOPOLITICS AND SECURITY STUDIES CENTER (GSSC)
THE EASTERN EUROPE STUDIES CENTRE BECOMES THE GEOPOLITICS AND SECURITY STUDIES CENTER (GSSC)
Internship
Analysing international policy processes and Lithuania’s role in them
Internship
Review Jan 08, 2025

Defending Baltics: War Lessons from Ukraine

Romanas Judinas
Summary

The “Defending Baltics: War Lessons from Ukraine” International Security Conference held in Vilnius on 8–9 October offered a valuable platform for discussing and reflecting on the lessons from the Russia–Ukraine war. What made the conference particularly unique was its diverse mix of participants, including politicians, military personnel, academics, NGOs, and representatives from the defence industry, all gathering to assess the ongoing war in Ukraine from multiple perspectives.

Read the full publication here.

This review goes beyond the discussions at the conference, offering a broader analysis of the lessons learnt from the Russia–Ukraine war and their implications for NATO’s eastern flank. It also covers issues that were raised only briefly or entirely omitted during the conference. Drawing from expert insights and additional information found in specialised sources, the review provides strategic, operational, and tactical recommendations. These recommendations focus primarily on identifying processes and tools to prepare NATO’s eastern flank for a potential conventional war with Russia. Furthermore, in the context of current geopolitical and military shifts, potential changes in the European security framework and Russia’s capability to maintain or escalate its aggression are discussed, alongside the impact of these changes on the feasibility of the recommendations and the overall readiness of NATO countries.

It is important to note that the purpose of this review is to extract critical lessons and propose recommendations specifically for NATO’s eastern flank. This region should be held to a different level of preparedness for a potential conventional conflict with Russia compared to the rest of Europe or North American allies, due to its geographical

The publication can be found in English HERE.

Romanas Judinas

A graduate of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University and co-founder of the Security and Defense Analysis Center “Locked’N’Loaded.” Romanas Judinas is responsible for analyses on military security topics, with a particular focus on defense issues and the dynamics of modern warfare. He actively contributes to the development of security and defense research.