Securing Western Victory: Defeating Russia and Restoring the Rule-Based World Order
About the event
The Vilnius Security Forum 2025 commemorates the 10th anniversary of this pivotal event, dedicated to addressing one of the most pressing challenges facing the Western world today: "Securing Western Victory: Defeating Russia and Restoring the Rule-Based World Order."
This milestone forum is particularly pertinent given the ongoing pressures in Eastern Europe and the critical juncture at which the strategic stability of the region finds itself. The conference will convene top defense and political leaders, strategists, and analysts to deepen understanding and develop effective strategies to enhance security and defense postures against the backdrop of rising threats from authoritarian regimes, specifically focusing on Russia’s attrition warfare tactics. The discussions will explore the political dynamics in the Baltic region, strategic deterrence, support mechanisms for Ukraine, and the mobilization of defense industries and political will.
The Forum's significance extends beyond immediate security concerns as it aims to foster long-term stability and strengthen alliances through shared understanding and strategic cooperation. As tensions escalate and the global security environment evolves, the insights generated at this milestone forum will be crucial for shaping future defense strategies and policies to ensure peace and stability in the region and beyond.
This milestone forum is particularly pertinent given the ongoing pressures in Eastern Europe and the critical juncture at which the strategic stability of the region finds itself. The conference will convene top defense and political leaders, strategists, and analysts to deepen understanding and develop effective strategies to enhance security and defense postures against the backdrop of rising threats from authoritarian regimes, specifically focusing on Russia’s attrition warfare tactics. The discussions will explore the political dynamics in the Baltic region, strategic deterrence, support mechanisms for Ukraine, and the mobilization of defense industries and political will.
The Forum's significance extends beyond immediate security concerns as it aims to foster long-term stability and strengthen alliances through shared understanding and strategic cooperation. As tensions escalate and the global security environment evolves, the insights generated at this milestone forum will be crucial for shaping future defense strategies and policies to ensure peace and stability in the region and beyond.
Date of the event
2025-02-20
Speakers:
Mr. Giedrimas Jeglinskas
Giedrimas Jeglinskas is the Chairman of the Committee on National Security and Defense at the Lithuanian Parliament, overseeing national security institutions and legislation.
Previously, he served as NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Executive Management, leading organizational functions including HR, IT, and finance. He also played a key role in the NATO Innovation Fund and managed a €700 million pension plan. From 2017 to 2019, he was Lithuania’s Deputy Defense Minister, responsible for capability development and defense industry partnerships.
A former Lithuanian Army officer, he also worked in corporate finance at Citigroup across multiple global locations. Jeglinskas holds degrees from West Point, Georgetown University, and Columbia Business School.
Previously, he served as NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Executive Management, leading organizational functions including HR, IT, and finance. He also played a key role in the NATO Innovation Fund and managed a €700 million pension plan. From 2017 to 2019, he was Lithuania’s Deputy Defense Minister, responsible for capability development and defense industry partnerships.
A former Lithuanian Army officer, he also worked in corporate finance at Citigroup across multiple global locations. Jeglinskas holds degrees from West Point, Georgetown University, and Columbia Business School.
Gen Raimundas Vaikšnoras
General Raimundas Vaikšnoras was born on July 12, 1970, in Druskininkai and began his military career in 1991 as an intelligence specialist in Lithuania’s National Defence Department. Rising through the ranks from rifleman to officer, he has held key leadership roles, including Platoon and Company Commander, Battalion Commander, and Commander of the Mechanized Infantry Brigade “Iron Wolf.”
He has completed military education in Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and Estonia, as well as strategic studies at the U.S. Army War College. Throughout his career, he has served in various staff positions, overseeing combat training, defense planning, and operations control. He was also deployed on a mission in Afghanistan and played a key role in capability development for Lithuania’s Armed Forces.
He has completed military education in Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and Estonia, as well as strategic studies at the U.S. Army War College. Throughout his career, he has served in various staff positions, overseeing combat training, defense planning, and operations control. He was also deployed on a mission in Afghanistan and played a key role in capability development for Lithuania’s Armed Forces.
Mrs. Indrė Makaraitytė
In her 25 years as a journalist, Indre has been a host of hard talk shows, a TV news reporter and editor of an analytical weekly, and a writer of political commentaries. For the last eight years, she has been the head of LRT's Investigative Desk. Alongside important domestic policy investigations, the LRT team has made significant contributions to prominent and award-nominated international investigations into Russian spy activity in European countries and Russian signals intelligence, as well as schemes to overcome Russian sanctions and an EBU-coordinated investigation into the Russification of temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
Lt Gen (ret.) Ben Hodges
Lieutenant General (ret) Ben Hodges is the former Commanding General of US Army Europe (2014-2017), currently serves as NATO Senior Mentor for Logistics and is a Distinguished Fellow with GLOBSEC. He consults for several companies on Europe, NATO, and the European Union, and he is co-author of the book, Future War and the Defence of Europe, published by Oxford University Press.
Maj Gen (ret.) Veiko-Vello Palm
Major General (ret.) Veiko-Vello Palm is a retired Estonian Major General. He began his military career in 1992 as a conscript in the Kalev Infantry Battalion and has held various key positions within the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF). His notable roles include Chief of Staff at the Tapa Training Center, Commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade (2015–2018), Chief of Staff of the EDF Headquarters (2018–2021), and Deputy Commander of the EDF (2021–2023). In 2023, he was appointed as the first Commander of the Estonian Division, a position he held until his retirement in March 2024. Major General Palm has also participated in international missions, serving as a staff officer in Afghanistan in 2007 and 2010. He holds a bachelor's and a master's degree from the National Defence University of Finland.
Brig Gen (ret.) Ephraim Sneh
Ephraim Sneh is an Israeli physician, retired Brigadier General, and politician. He began his military career in 1962, serving as a medical officer in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and participating in notable operations such as the Entebbe rescue mission. Sneh held various command positions, including leading the elite Unit 669 and overseeing the security zone in southern Lebanon. Transitioning to politics, he was elected to the Knesset in 1992 as a member of the Labor Party, serving until 2008. During his tenure, Sneh held several ministerial roles, including Minister of Health (1994–1996), Deputy Minister of Defense (1999–2001, 2006–2007), and Minister of Transportation (2001–2002). He has been a vocal advocate on security issues, particularly concerning Iran's nuclear program. Currently, Sneh chairs the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Strategic Dialogue at Netanya Academic College.
Dr. Laurynas Kasčiūnas
Is the former Minister of Defence and now serving as a Deputy Chairman of the National Security and Defense Committee of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania, he is a political scientist, member of the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania. In the pas he has worked in analytical work at various research centers, and has worked with colleagues on various analytical studies on Lithuanian national security and foreign policy issues. Also, he was a lecturer at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University. Recently has been elected as the Chairman of the party Homeland Union - Lithuania's Christians Democrats.
Mrs. Molly McKew
Molly McKew is a writer specializing in information warfare. She is the former CEO of Fianna Strategies, a firm that advises governments and NGOs on maneuvering high-security situations. An expert on Russian influence for governments, McKew has acted as a foreign policy and strategy consultant and an adviser to political parties in Georgia and Moldova. In 2013, she was awarded the Order of Honor for her role in defending Georgia’s democracy. Her writing has appeared in Politico, WIRED, PBS, and The Washington Post. McKew was also a board member for the Stand Up Republic Foundation and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, lecturing on Russian influence and information warfare. Today, she is the lead writer at Great Power.
Gen (ret.) Rajmund Andrzejczak
Gen (ret.) Rajmund Andrzejczak is a Polish general and former Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces (2018–2023). A graduate of top military institutions, he has held key command roles in Poland and international missions, including Iraq and Afghanistan. Promoted to General in 2019, he was reappointed as Chief of Staff in 2021. His service has earned him numerous military honors, including the Order of the Second Class Military Cross and the Star of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Mr. Oleg Dunda
Oleg Dunda is a Ukrainian entrepreneur and member of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine of the 9th convocation. He serves as co-chair of the inter-factional parliamentary association For the Decolonization of Russia and is a member of the Committee on the Organization of State Power, Local Self-Government, Regional Development, and Urban Planning of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, where he chairs the subcommittee on construction and design.
Gen (ret.) Herbert Raymond McMaster
Gen (ret.) Herbert Raymond McMaster is a highly decorated former U.S. Army officer, strategic thinker, historian, and national security expert. A West Point graduate with a Ph.D. in history, he is renowned for his critical analysis of U.S. military strategy in Dereliction of Duty (1997). McMaster played a key role in the Gulf War, Iraq, and Afghanistan, earning recognition for his leadership and counterinsurgency expertise. As the 26th U.S. National Security Advisor (2017-2018), he shaped U.S. foreign policy and national security strategy. Now a Senior Fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institution, he continues to influence global security discussions through research, speaking engagements, and his book Battlegrounds (2020).
Mr. Marshall Billingslea
is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, focusing on illicit finance and arms control. He has held significant roles in the U.S. government, including Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control at the Department of State and Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing at the Department of the Treasury. In 2018, he served as president of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global body overseeing anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing efforts. Earlier in his career, Billingslea was Deputy Under Secretary of the Navy and Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment at NATO. He holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.A. in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University.
Assoc. Prof. Giedrius Česnakas
Assoc. Prof. Giedrius Česnakas currently serves as an advisor to the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Lithuania on geopolitics, strategy and the education of military officers. Prior to joining the Minister’s team, he was a professor of international relations at the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy, where he led both undergraduate and graduate programs in political science and represented the institution in the consortium for doctoral studies in political science. His research primarily focused on international security, as well as the foreign and security policies of Lithuania and Russia. He has authored and edited books published by international publishers, exploring topics such as European strategic autonomy and total defence. His scholarly contributions have earned him recognition and awards from the Lithuanian Research Council.
Mr. Rainhard Kloucek
Rainhard Kloucek has been President of the Pan-European Movement Austria since April 12, 2024. Born in 1962 in Austria’s Weinviertel region, he studied business administration at the Vienna University of Economics and Business and was active in student politics.
From 1990 to 1996, he worked for Die Presse, later freelancing for various media before serving as a parliamentary assistant in the European Parliament (1996–1999). Since 1999, he has been Secretary General of the Pan-European Movement Austria and a member of the Presidium of the International Pan-European Union. Kloucek has organized numerous national and international conferences and undertaken political missions across Central and Eastern Europe.
Lt Col (ret.) Daniel Rakov
Daniel Rakov is a Senior Fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS). He is an expert on Russian policy in the Middle East, the Great Power Competition in the region, Russian-Israeli relations, and Russian information warfare. He had served in the Israeli Defense Forces for over 20 years, mainly in the Israeli Defense Intelligence (Aman). Later, he worked at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) and Tel Aviv University's Elrom Center for Air and Space Studies.
Col (ret.) Ray Wojcik
Col (ret.) Ray Wojcik is the former Army Attaché, American Embassy Warsaw, and defense expert at the Kościuszko Chain. Half of his military assignments are on duty in Europe including 8 years in Poland, where he also previously served as Director, of the Warsaw office of CEPA - the Center for European Policy Analysis.
Mr. Michael Malm
Michel Malm is Senior Advisor at the Swedish Armed Forces Defence Staff, Department of Total Defence. Michael have among other things worked for the Swedish Air Force, The Swedish Defence University, The Swedish Defence Research Agency and the Baltic Defence College.
Dr. Timo Hellenberg
Timo Hellenberg, (Dr.Pol. Sc., M.Sc.Econ.) is a CEO and founder of Hellenberg International Ltd and CEO of Hellenberg HK Limited. He has served as a Special Adviser (EU and Foreign Affairs) to two Prime Ministers of Finland and more than decade as a security consultant for the Finnish Government Council. He has 25 years of academic and crisis management researcher incl. at the United Nations (DRD). Board member of the Paasikivi Society; Board member of the Geopolitical Society of Finland; Member of the Finnish-Russian Scientific and Technical Committee; Board Member of the Baltic Civil Defence Network; Senior Advisor at the IMA (Washington); Member of the Advisory Board of the Cyberwatch Finland.
Dr. James Jay Carafano
Dr. James Jay Carafano is the Senior Counselor to the President and E.W. Richardson Fellow at The Heritage Foundation, specializing in national security and foreign policy. A 25-year U.S. Army veteran, he previously served as head speechwriter for the Army Chief of Staff and executive editor of Joint Force Quarterly.
Carafano holds degrees from West Point, Georgetown University (M.A., Ph.D.), and the U.S. Army War College. He has taught at West Point, National Defense University, and Georgetown. A prolific writer, he has authored multiple books, including Brutal War (2021) and Wiki at War (2012), and is a frequent contributor to major media outlets.
He has testified before Congress on defense and homeland security and served on the Homeland Security Advisory Council. His contributions have earned him The Heritage Foundation’s prestigious W. Glenn and Rita Ricardo Campbell Award.
Mr. Hans Christoph Atzpodien
Hans Christoph Atzpodien has been a board member of the Federation of German Security and Defence Industries (BDSV – Bundesverband der Deutschen Sicherheits- und Verteidigungsindustrie) since its establishment in 2009 and has served as its CEO since 2017. BDSV is dedicated to representing the interests of the German Security and Defence Industry both nationally and internationally, with the goal of enhancing their visibility. Before assuming his current role, Mr Atzpodien held several leading positions at ThyssenKrupp. This included serving as a board member of the business area Industrial Solutions and as Chairman of their Marine Systems division until 2016. Mr Atzpodien earned a Ph.D. in Law from the University of Bonn, Germany.
Mr. Fredrik Hassel
Mr. Fredrik Hassel is a Senior Advisor at Saab and a former Deputy Director General of the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (2007–2019). He previously served as Head of Staff at the Swedish Emergency Management Agency and as a Political Advisor to Sweden’s Minister for Defence. Appointed as an expert to the Swedish Defence Commission (2002–2007), he has contributed to multiple governmental investigations and represented Sweden in international forums such as the IAEA and EU. In 2023, he joined the external expert group advising the Swedish Government on National Security Strategy. Hassel has a military background as an infantry officer and Company Commander.
Col (ret.) Jeffrey Jennette
Col (ret.) Jeffrey Jennette is a retired United States Army Colonel, and former Defense Attache to Lithuania 2011-2014 and temporarily in 2018.
Russia/Central Europe/Eurasia expert and security cooperation practitioner with experience in Turkmenistan, Moldova and Tajikistan as well as Lithuania.
Here in his personal capacity, but also provides training and instruction to US military personnel preparing for service in US embassies worldwide, and teaches a Russia Studies Course.
Graduate of the US National War College, University of North Carolina and US Military Academy, West Point.
Mrs. Julija Kazdobina
Mrs. Julija Kazdobina is a Senior Fellow in the Security Studies Program specializing in information security. She holds MAs from the University of Rochester and Brigham Young University. A former advisor to Ukraine’s Information Policy Minister (2016–2019), she led the drafting of the government’s Crimea information strategy. Since 2018, she has headed the Ukrainian Foundation for Security Studies, focusing on countering Russian influence. She previously worked as an analyst for the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv and the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research. Her research covers information security, hybrid warfare, and European and Ukrainian security.
