The United States has deployed USS Gerald Ford and USS Eisenhower to the Mediterranean Sea to assist Israel by deterring a war that could spread. With increasing global disorder, maintaining freedom of navigation will become a greater challenge in Eurasian waters. Russia seeks to displace Ukraine from commercial markets and cause supply turbulence and generate instability and social unrest in Africa and the Middle East to generate a new wave of migration to Europe and cause fresh problems for Ukraine’s allies.
Freedom of navigation is also important to diminish Russia’s malign influence in energy trade. Russia uses energy to pressure and blackmail countries in the Black Sea region and beyond. It has demonstrated over the years that Gazprom is a decisive tool in its hybrid war. All countries in the region, except Ukraine and Romania, depend on gas imports from Russia.
Introductory remarks:
❖ Seth Cropsey; President, Yorktown Institute
❖ George Scutaru; CEO, New Strategy Center, former National Security Adviser to the Romanian President
Discussants:
❖ His Excellency Andrei Muraru; Ambassador of Romania to the United States
❖ Rear Admiral Liviu Coman; Deputy Chief of Operations & Training, Romanian Navy, Commander of the Romanian Maritime Component Command (MARCOM)
❖ Doug Feith; Former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
❖ Rear Admiral Sinclair Harris; Former Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and Vice Director for Operations on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
❖ Laurențiu Pachiu; Vice President of the Energy Policy Group, the leading Romanian think tank in the energy field.
Moderator:
❖ Seth Cropsey; President, Yorktown Institute
The event will be held from noon until 2 PM on Wednesday, November 15th at The Army and Navy Club, 901 17th Street, NW. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by Wednesday, November 1st.