Hybrid Threats’ Nexuses: Taking EU-NATO Cooperation to the next Level?

Hybrid warfare tools, tactics and techniques evolve, and democratic allies should bolster their cooperation and readiness to address increasingly interconnected threats. While the EU and NATO share common membership and security challenges, their partnership has been limited due to practical and political obstacles. The growing nexus between foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) and cyber threats shows a valuable example which can contribute to fruitful cooperation between the two institutions. To advance further, policy responses by the two institutions must keep up with the evolution of the security threats across multiple domains. Questions to be addressed include: 1. How has the hybrid threat landscape evolved? What are the links between FIMI and cyber threats and current and potential responses? How have Russia and China mobilized their tools of interference? 2. What are the EU and NATO approaches to address FIMI, cyber and hybrid threats? How has cooperation between EU and NATO in countering FIMI and cyber threats in the hybrid security landscape proven successful? 3. How can the two institutions take their cooperation in these domains to the next level? Can they develop a more comprehensive approach? Can the successes from hybrid cooperation be expanded to other areas?