Dr. Tim Sweijs interviews four Defence Ministers during ‘The Baltic Defence Line’ Symposium

On 15 January 2025, HCSS was honoured to welcome the Dutch Minister of Defence Mr. Ruben Brekelmans and his three colleagues from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania: Defence Ministers Mr. Hanno Pevkur, Mr. Andris Sprūds and Ms. Dovilė Šakalienė.

The four ministers gathered for ‘The Baltic Defence Line’ Symposium to discuss the topic of eastern flank defence, NATO’s forward defence strategy in Europe, and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Read the event recap here.

Watch the entire event back here, and here.

Just before HCSS hosted this event, Dr. Tim Sweijs managed to briefly interview the 4 defence ministers.

Dr. Tim Sweijs speaks to Dutch Minister of Defence Mr. Ruben Brekelmans about the core priorities for the Alliance, defence investment pledges, military and societal preparedness and resilience, conscription, hybrid threats, and the NATO Summit 2025 taking place in the Hague this coming June.

“In peace time people ask, ‘what can the military do for society?’, but in this grey zone where we are now, we also are asking what can society do for us?”

Dr. Tim Sweijs speaks to Lithuanian Minister of Defence Ms. Dovilė Šakalienė about the importance of defence spending in all domains (air, sea, land, cyber), deterrence, sanctions, and the key challenges for the Alliance to secure our Eastern Front.

“Every Russian tank that is not destroyed in Ukraine is a Russian tank that is going to threaten us.”

Dr. Tim Sweijs speaks to Estonian Minister of Defence Mr. Hanno Pevkur about key priorities for protecting our Eastern borders, defence spending, capability targets, Ukraine, intra-alliance cohesion and the importance of unity.

“I really do hope that we never have to use this line (Baltic Defence Line), but if we have to, then we are prepared”

Dr. Tim Sweijs speaks to Latvian Minister of Defence Mr. Andris Sprūds about investment in defence across all domains (land, sea, air, space, cyber), counter mobility measures, capabilities, deterrence, preparedness, conscription, and resilience of society.

“By contributing to defence, we contribute directly also to deterrence”