How are espionage, hostile state activities and geopolitical pressure shaping the security landscape in Europe and Asia? This webinar brings together experts to examine the growing challenges posed by covert influence operations, geopolitical competition and emerging security threats.

Chuck Pfarrer, former SEAL Team Six Squadron Leader, Kyiv Post correspondent and New York Times bestselling author, examines Russia’s covert activities and strategies aimed at weakening NATO and destabilizing Europe. He explores the methods used in this hidden conflict, the risks they pose to European security and their potential implications for the future of NATO and the wider Western alliance.

Pekka Virkki, author, researcher, journalist and co-founder of Mission Grey Inc., will explore the concept of Finlandization and its relevance to Taiwan’s current geopolitical situation. Drawing on Finland’s experiences during the Cold War, he examines how Taiwan could face similar forms of political and strategic pressure while highlighting the key differences between the two cases. Given Taiwan’s critical role in the global economy, particularly in semiconductor technology, the geopolitical and economic consequences of such a scenario deserve close attention.

The event opens with a Food for Thoughts presentation by Panu Vesterinen, Specialist at Helsinki Region Chamber of Commerce, providing an overview of publicly known cases related to hostile state activities and other current security topics.