Zapad 2021: Implications for Defense & Military Mobility in Europe

Tune in: https://cepa.org/event/zapad-2021-implications-for-defense-military-mobility-in-europe/

In September, Russia and Belarus will begin the massive "Zapad 2021" strategic military exercises. The drills, staged every four years, will combine thousands of troops from Russia and Belarus to stress test their mobility, readiness, and interoperability. Following Russia’s major military build-up near Ukraine’s border and civil unrest in Belarus, what should the West expect from these exercises? What will they signal about Russian capabilities and intentions?

To preview and contextualize the Zapad exercises, an expert panel will unpack the exercises’ implications for NATO's own mobility and broader defense and deterrence efforts in Europe.

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Panelists

Ben Hodges, Pershing Chair, Center for European Policy Analysis

George Zambellas, Former First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, Royal Navy

Egle Murauskaite, Senior Researcher and Simulation Designer, ICONS Project, University of Maryland

Alex Tiersky, Senior Policy Advisor, Committee on Security and Cooperation in Europe


Moderator

Lauren Speranza, Director, Transatlantic Security Program, Center for European Policy Analysis