The New North: The Eight States Shaping a New European Security
Virtual Briefing Series
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
A major shift is underway in the defense posture of Northern Europe. Finland and Sweden joined NATO, ending long periods of non-alignment. Together, the “Nordic-Baltic Eight” (NB8) give more military aid to Ukraine as a percentage of GDP. Strong balance sheets, driven by innovation and digital transformation, have enabled the region to become leaders in European security.
What does this shift in power mean within the European Union and for transatlantic relations, especially following the crisis over Greenland? How have the NB8 countries changed since the invasion of Ukraine, and what do their changes mean for the future? Are they ready for the economic and political risks that come with increased importance in European security?
In advance of all eight of the Nordic-Baltic Eight defense ministers’ visit to Ukraine in September, join us on Tuesday, August 25th from 12 PM to 1 PM ET for a discussion exploring these questions and more with Dr. Hiski Haukkala, Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, Dr. Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, and Dr. Kristi Raik, Director of the International Centre for Defence and Security.
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Speakers:
Dr. Hiski Haukkala
Dr. Hiski Haukkala is the Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. He is also an Adjunct Professor of International Relations at the Faculty of Management and Business, Tampere University, Finland, and a Senior Research Associate at RAND Europe. Before joining FIIA in November 2024, he worked as a Professor of International Relations at Tampere University.
Until spring 2024, Haukkala was the Secretary General and Chief of the Cabinet at the Office of the President of the Republic of Finland. Haukkala has previously held positions at the University of Turku, Tampere University, the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, as well as visiting positions at the University of Oxford, the Wilson Center in Washington D.C., the College of Europe in Natolin in Warsaw, the EU Institute of Security Studies in Paris, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London and the University of Stirling in Scotland. He is the author of numerous books and articles on EU foreign policy, Russia and international relations.
Dr. Jacob Funk Kirkegaard
Dr. Jacob Funk Kirkegaard has been nonresident senior fellow with the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE) since September 2020 and resident senior fellow with Bruegel since September 2024. He was a resident senior fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) in the GMF’s Brussels office from September 2020 to August 2024. He has been associated with the Institute since 2002 and had been resident senior fellow from 2013 to 2020.
Before joining the Institute, he worked with the Danish Ministry of Defense, the United Nations in Iraq, and in the private financial sector. He is a graduate of the Danish Army’s Special School of Intelligence and Linguistics with the rank of first lieutenant; the University of Aarhus in Aarhus, Denmark; Columbia University in New York; and received his PhD from Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies. He is coeditor of Transatlantic Economic Challenges in an Era of Growing Multipolarity (2012), author of The Accelerating Decline in America’s High-Skilled Workforce: Implications for Immigration Policy (2007), coauthor of US Pension Reform: Lessons from Other Countries (2009) and Transforming the European Economy (2004), and assisted with Accelerating the Globalization of America: The Role for Information Technology (2006). His current research focuses on European economies and reform, immigration, foreign direct investment trends and estimations, pension systems, demographics, offshoring, and the impact of information technology.
Dr. Kristi Raik
Dr. Kristi Raik is the Director of the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) from 1 January 2025. She is also an Adjunct Professor of International Relations at the University of Turku. She has previously served as the Deputy Director of ICDS, Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute at the ICDS, and Senior Research Fellow at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union.
Her main areas of expertise are European security, strategic competition in Eastern Europe, EU foreign and security policy, and foreign and security policies of the Baltic states and Finland. She has published in high-ranking academic journals, including Geopolitics, European Security, and Cooperation and Conflict, and media outlets including Foreign Policy. She is a frequent commentator in the international media and has provided expert contributions to the Estonian, Finnish, EU and NATO institutions. Kristi has a PhD from the University of Turku.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tuesday, September 22, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM | In-Person in NYC, Open to All, In Partnership with UNMUTED
Should the U.S. Leave the U.N.?
Join Network 20/20 and UNMUTED* for a fun and engaging debate on whether the United States should leave the U.N., or is that a threat we’ll regret making?
Arguing for, Taufiq Rauhim is a senior fellow at New America and has extensive experience in foreign policy. He has read the budget line by line… and thinks most of it isn’t buying us much.
Arguing against, Ambassador Chris Lu did the job for real. Sworn in as US Representative to the United Nations for Management and Reform, he spent three years leading the American negotiations on the UN budget and grinding out reform from the inside of the Fifth Committee.
Moderated by Rekha Shanmugam of Al Jazeera, and MC by Eliana Kwartler.
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*UNMUTED is a non-partisan discussion forum that tries to make politics accessible, engaging, and social, for the people who want to care but are totally tuned out by social media division.
Wednesday, September 23, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET | In-Person in NYC, Members-only
Join us for a conversation with Dr. Karim Haggag, Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and Member of the U.N. Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters (ABDM) when he will discuss global security, particularly in the Middle East.
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*This briefing is exclusive to Network 20/20’s members and donors.
Tuesday, October 6, 2026, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET | In-Person in NYC, Members-only
Join a conversation with Mr. Mitchell Silk, former Assistant Secretary for International Markets at the U.S. Department of the Treasury (Trump 45), as he discusses his book, A Seat at the Table, as well as his insights on Trump’s global economic policies.
