Modern Warfare: Rethinking Security Architecture Beyond Conventional Threats

Admiral Robert Bauer: Former Chair of the NATO Military Committee , NATO

Þórdís Kolbrún R. Gylfadóttir: Special Envoy of Council of Europe Secretary General on the Situation of Children of Ukraine, Member of Parliament for the Republic of Iceland

Dr. Adel Abdel Ghafar: Senior Fellow and Foreign Policy Program Director, Middle East Council on Global Affairs

H.E. Javier Colomina: Special Representative for the Southern Neighborhood, North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Katarzyna Pisarska: Chairwoman, Warsaw Security Forum (Moderator)

In today’s multipolar world, conflict increasingly unfolds below the threshold of open war. From Ukraine to the Middle East, hybrid tactics spread to neighboring countries through cyberattacks, disinformation, sabotage of critical infrastructure, and disruptions of civil airports, testing both the resilience of societies and the credibility of alliances. These actions, intentional or not, blur the line between peace and confrontation and turn entire societies into frontlines of strategic competition. Prolonged crises have become arenas where narratives, alliances, and institutions are constantly contested. The language of sovereignty, resistance, and “decolonization” has become a strategic tool, used both to defend democratic principles and to justify authoritarian influence.

This session explores how nations and communities living under constant hybrid pressure can sustain resilience without falling into new forms of dependency. Drawing on Europe’s recent experiences and insights from other regions, the discussion will examine how power, governance, and legitimacy evolve amid chronic instability. The debate will focus on practical lessons: how to prepare for acts below the threshold of war, how to maintain public trust in the face of persistent disinformation, and how to strengthen societal and institutional endurance in an environment where strategic ambiguity is the norm. By comparing perspectives from Europe’s eastern flank, its western allies, and partners from the Global South, this conversation seeks to outline a more inclusive understanding of hybrid resilience—one that balances security with sovereignty and power with principle.

In partnership with: Warsaw Security Forum