COMPETITION AND DETERRENCE IN EUROPE: A CONVERSATION WITH GENERAL TOD D. WOLTERS, USEUCOM COMMANDER AND SACEUR - The Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security's Commanders Series hosted an event on “Competition and Deterrence in Europe” with Commander of US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Tod D. Wolters, USAF. This event took place on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.

The European theater, home to many of the United States’ most enduring alliances and partnerships, has entered a new era of strategic competition. Russia’s continuous and aggressive military and non-military actions toward NATO allies and partners has increased instability in Europe while a rising China is increasingly leveraging its political and economic power to sway and coerce members of the transatlantic community. In response to this range of conventional and hybrid threats, US European Command is modernizing its cross-domain capabilities while maintaining a robust presence on the European continent. NATO has similarly taken significant steps to enhance its military capability, including improving readiness, adapting its command structure, expanding operations, and investing in new capabilities. Still, as allied leaders prepared to discuss the future of the Alliance at the NATO Summit, the United States and its NATO allies must continue to adapt to ensure they can not only win in a twenty-first century conflict, but also deter and compete with revanchist adversaries on a day-to-day basis.

To discuss the United States’ and NATO’s approach to competition and evolving concept for defense and deterrence, the Scowcroft Center was delighted to host General Wolters, Commander of US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe. The conversation was moderated by Clementine G. Starling, Deputy Director of Forward Defense and Resident Fellow in the Scowcroft Center’s Transatlantic Security Initiative. They discussed NATO’s continued adaptation and new approach to everyday competition, how the United States and its allies are evolving to prevail in twenty-first century warfare, and the future of US force posture and military activity in Europe.

ORIGINAL AIRDATE: 06/09/21