Sir Lawrence Freedman | Lessons from Ukraine for the Future of Warfare

How did the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine reawaken strategic thinking in the West? Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine poses challenges for the future of international security. Joining us today is Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King’s College London, to discuss the ways in which the global system is increasingly being shaped by hard-power confrontation.  Beginning with a discussion in the strategic shifts that have emerged across the NATO alliance due to the war, Freedman highlights the positive increases in European defence capacity-building that have emerged as a result. Continuing on, he assesses consistency and changes in Russian military doctrine since the Soviet period. He also highlights how historical memory of past conflicts with Russia have impacted the strategic evolution of Western and Eastern European NATO allies, as well as if prior 21st century small-scale conflicts with Russia should have been more alarming to NATO.  Proceeding to discuss the state of peace talks and a potential settlement between Ukraine and Russia, Freedman forecasts the potential implications for Russia’s strategy in the post-war world order. As this may cause ambiguity for small states to grow, Canada and other small-state NATO allies would do well to take heed in advance of future conflicts, and confront the challenges Russia’s evolutions in warfare may cause head-on. Don’t miss an episode – subscribe to the CDA Institute newsletter today: https://bit.ly/40ykggqThe CDA Institute is a non-partisan think tank that conducts research and education programming on defence and security.Learn more: CDA Institute