Defence Leadership Centre represented at conference on Russia 2025

1 April 2025
events
A stage lit by neon lights with a presenter and audience. The stage is flanked by banners showing NATO branding.

The Defence Academy of the United Kingdom was recently represented at the Baltic Defence College’s (BDC) ‘Conference on Russia’ by Dr Ed Gosling from the Defence Leadership Centre (DLC).  

The annual conference has been hosted in Tartu, Estonia, by the BDC since 2015 and attracts delegates from Baltic and allied military communities, national governments, academia and the private sector.

The purpose of the conference is to discuss the most pressing localised and global issues shaping Russia. Attendance at the conference presented a valuable opportunity for DLC to further develop connections with BDC, which began at last year’s DLC-run research workshop on NATO multinational leader development in London. 

Despite this year’s focus on strategic pathways to peace in Ukraine being set several months ago, discussions were characterised by a sense of almost real-time immediacy in relation to the White House’s ongoing peace deal overtures to Russia and Ukraine, and indications of reduced future US defence support to Europe.   

The two-day programme featured a series of panels that showcased a diverse array of defence sector luminaries including military and NATO commanders, European MPs and diplomats, academics and BDC staff and students. These focussed on key themes ranging from the role of Russia’s war economy in driving the conflict, to projections of Ukraine’s and NATO member nations’ capacity to meet the challenge of Putin.  

Technological and social lessons from the ongoing conflict were also explored alongside the issues associated with crafting an acceptable peace agreement or building national resilience in preparation for possible escalation.  

The panel discussions delivered an informative and focussed examination of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, recent events in the USA and the implications for Europe and the wider world. A charity dinner in support of Ukraine provided a further opportunity for networking and relationship building among delegates.

On his experience representing DLC in Tartu, Dr Ed Gosling reflected:

“This fantastic conference demonstrated the value of a mutually supportive, collaborative approach to defence and highlighted the renewed imperative for the UK, alongside our European allies, to deliver a coherent, collective defence. "The DLC is working incredibly hard to deliver leader development that can equip our senior defence leaders with the mindset and tools they need to lead effectively across organisational boundaries both internal and external to MOD. Estonia was a huge opportunity to further develop ties with BDC to inform and enrich two of DLC’s most critical outputs, the leadership edge and leadership in defence, through which we are developing key concepts like inclusive leadership and integrative defence leadership”.  

BDC’s Col (ret.) Dr Çlirim Toci, Lecturer in Defence Planning and Management, added:

“The Conference on Russia: Strategic Pathways to Ending the Russo-Ukrainian War was a vital forum for shaping the future of European and global security. As the war in Ukraine continues to redefine the geopolitical landscape, the role of the Trump administration in relation to NATO, its policies toward Ukraine, and its broader global strategy are critical factors influencing the path forward. "This conference brought together top experts, policymakers, and military leaders to engage in bold, strategic discussions on ending the conflict. The depth of debate, the diversity of perspectives, and the urgency of the moment made this event not just timely, but essential for charting a course toward lasting peace and stability”.

Following the conclusion of the conference, bilateral conversations between representatives of the BDC’s Department of Leadership and Management Studies and DLC continue, and plans are already in development for future visits to Shrivenham and Tartu, including a return to the Conference on Russia in 2026.