Kiel International Seapower Symposium
18 June 2026
In cooperation with:

 

How to Defend Europe at the Northern Flank

KISS26 is held in the context of tremendous and palpable global and political changes. With a US administration aggressively seeking influence over Greenland and turning more and more away from NATO, the alliance coherence is in doubt. Further the Iran-war has the potential to create a serious global energy crisis that would play into the hands of Russia. Europe has to make up its mind how to prevail under such circumstances and to ask itself, whether it has the right assumptions, capabilities and strategies to respond.

Translated into the maritime sphere, the question is how to defend Europe at the Northern Flank?

KISS26 will to address and discuss some of these pressing questions aiming to provide answers and recommendations to set the right course. It will bring together leaders from academia, the military, NGOs, the defense industry and policy-makers to Kiel to share knowledge for mutual empowerment.

 

Setting the Scene

High Level Panel: Island, Germany, Danmark, United Kingdom and Canada

 

 

Session I: Thinking about the antagonists: Do we get Russia and China right?

 

 

Session II: A View to the High North and North Atlantic: Interests, Threat Perception and Options

 

 

Session III: Svalbart, Greenland , Gotland - Islands Under Threat

 

 

Session IV: Turning Words into Actions: Practical Recommendations

Contact Person

Mr. Johannes Peters

Project Manager Kiel International Seapower Symposium

Mail

 

KISS25 IS ORGANIZED BY

The Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University (ISPK) provides research, analysis and commentary on conflicts and strategic issues. ISPK is committed to furthering the security policy discourse in Germany and abroad by way of focused, interdisciplinary, policy-oriented research.

In Cooperation with

The German Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (GIDS) aims at researching and analysing strategic issues from a military and security point of view. Basic research, critical advice and open-minded debates are the pillars of its work. As such, it contributes to Germany’s ability to take strategic action.