Great Power Competition Series: National Security Imperatives in the Near Abroad

In this Program LTC Alex Vindman, USA (Ret) will discuss how the Russian Federation considers the independent states that emerged after the dissolution of the former Soviet Union to be an area of special interest. These former Soviet Socialist Republics are broadly referred to as the “Near Abroad.” He will also examine Russia’s intervention in this area when threats or opportunities arise and explore why Russia regards the “Near Abroad” as a critical security zone, buffer region, and an area for economic exploitation.
 
 
Alexander S. Vindman, Lieutenant Colonel U.S. Army (Retired), is a doctoral student and a Foreign Policy Institute Fellow at Johns Hopkins, School of Advanced International Studies, a Pritzker Military Fellow at the Lawfare Institute, a non-resident fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House, and the author of the forthcoming memoir, Here, Right Matters.
Moderator: John Gans is the Director of Communications and Research at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House and a fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Prior to joining Perry World House, he was the chief speechwriter to Secretary of Defense Ash Carter at the Pentagon. In addition to leading the writing team at the Defense Department, Gans served as senior speechwriter for Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew. Gans is the author of White House Warriors: How the National Security Council Transformed the American Way of War.