Czech Security Forum 2023

Registration

Opening Remarks

Keynote Speech and Q&A

Michael Kofman, the world’s leading expert on the Russian military, will provide his assessment of Ukraine’s summer offensive and its implications for the broader Russo-Ukrainian conflict. Moreover, he will chart possible directions for the war in 2024 and lay out the implications of different scenarios for NATO countries and their support for Ukraine’s struggle against Russian aggression.

Coffee Break

Panel 1: Russia’s Nuclear Sabre-Rattling, NATO’s Response, and the Future of Arms Control and Disarmament

With growing concerns over potential nuclear use in the war in Ukraine, European security has become more cognizant of changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, strategy, operational practices, and safeguards. Does Russia’s nuclear sabre-rattling represent a doctrinal shift or is it a continuation of the same geopolitical goals that it had before? What kind of danger does it present to Europe? What are the possible challenges and contributions to enhancing NATO’s defence and deterrence posture? How can NATO increase the mutual confidence and strengthen mutual security to reduce Russia’s reliance on nuclear weapons?

Lunch

Panel 2: The A.I. Revolution and its Impact on Military Affairs

The A.I. revolution has a great impact on how war is done. A key question is whether human decision-making on the use of force should and can be effectively replaced with technology-based processes, and thus, life-and-death decisions could be ceded to machines. Within the EU, discussions or policies that guide the use of autonomous weapon systems are new or often absent. This panel asks: what is the value of A.I. in current and future warfare from a European point of view? Can the EU build technical expertise and develop its own drones while ethical questions remain unaddressed?

Registration

Panel 3: Whose Robots? Autonomous Weapon Systems – Threats and Opportunities to European Security in Times of War

Autonomous weapon systems play a key role in ongoing conflicts, including the one in Ukraine. The use of autonomous weapon systems in warfare is essential for military operations as well as for Europe’s strategic sovereignty. Meanwhile, the use of A.I. in military affairs raises complex dilemmas. What are the challenges in regulating and limiting the proliferation of armed drones in Europe? (Presentation of a brief discussion paper prepared by the Institute of International Relations, Peace Research Centre Prague and co-organised by Experimental Lab for International Security Studies'

Coffee Break

Panel 4: The Russo-Ukrainian War and the Perils of a “Frozen Conflict”

Russia’s plan to transform Ukraine into a pro-Russian state failed; Russia did not occupy Ukraine and did not replace the government in Kyiv with a pro-Russian one. However, the fear is that Russia’s war in Ukraine could become a frozen conflict. One of Russia’s goals right now is to control the territories it already occupies because for Russians supporting Putin’s regime, it will look like a victory. Additionally, by attempting to control these territories, Russia can cause issues for integrating Ukraine into Europe’s security framework. How can a potential frozen conflict affect European security and the future of nuclear defence and deterrence?