Ukraine & the Alliance with NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence David Cattler
Summary
David Cattler (Twitter; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss NATO’s intelligence response to the ongoing war in Ukraine. David currently serves as NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security.
What You’ll Learn
Intelligence
- Intelligence & NATO
- NATO’s response to the war in Ukraine
- How NATO is adapting to evolving technologies
- NATO’s purpose and mission
Reflections
- Support and trust between nations
- Global collaboration
And much, much more …
Episode Notes
Last February, SpyCast brought you an episode featuring David Cattler, focused on his role as NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security. Only a few weeks after that episode was published, Russia invaded the Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, catalyzing the first war on European soil since World War II. Only three weeks ago, NATO gained their newest member of the alliance, Finland, with the hopes of ratifying Sweden’s membership soon.
This week, we bring David back on to discuss how his position has evolved and changed alongside the war in Ukraine, and how NATO is responding to the ongoing crisis. What impact does the inclusion of Finland (and hopefully Sweden) make on the European continent? Tune in to find out more.
And…
With Finland’s recent membership, NATO is currently comprised of 31 independent nations. Out of these 30, only one member state doesn’t have a standing army – Can you guess which? Hint: It’s Iceland!
Quotes of the Week
"It's not just about Ukraine. It really is about what kind of world we all want to live in. There are rules and the rules really do establish that nations of people have rights to be free. To make decisions for themselves, to be sovereign, to be safe within their own borders. To be free from harm and certainly free from being threatened in the way that we've seen here." – David Cattler.
Resources
SURFACE SKIM
*SpyCasts*
- Ukraine & Intelligence: One Year On with Shane Harris (2023)
- How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Spy Game with Mike Susong (2023)
- Dealing with Russia with Counterintelligence Legend Jim Olson (2022)
- NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security with David Cattler (2022)
*Beginner Resources*
- What is NATO and why is Finland joining?, BBC News (2023) [Short article]
- Russia-Ukraine Relations in 60 Seconds, CBC News (2022) [1 min. video]
- The Formation of NATO and the Warsaw Pact | History, YouTube (2017) [3 min. video]
DEEPER DIVE
Books
- Enduring Alliance, T. A. Sayle (Cornell University Press, 2019)
- How NATO Adapts, S. A. Johnston (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2017)
- The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine, S. Plokhy (Basic Books, 2017)
- Defense of the West, S. Sloan (Manchester University Press, 2016)
Articles
- NATO’s top official, visiting Kyiv, says Ukraine’s ‘rightful place’ is in the alliance, E. Liston, The New York Times (2023)
- As Finland builds a fence on Russia's border, what does membership mean to NATO's newest member?, P. Falk, CBS News (2023)
- NATO-Russia Tensions: Putin Orders Invasion of Ukraine, W. Richter, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (2022)
- NATO and the Ukraine Crisis: Collective securitization, J Sperling & M. Webber, European Journal of International Security (2016)
Video
- A Brief History of Ukraine (And Why Russia Wants to Control It), HistoryHit, YouTube (2022)
- The Cold War, Narrated by Kenneth Branagh, CNN (1998)
Primary Sources
- Ratification of Finland and Sweden’s Accession to NATO, NATO Parliamentary Assembly (2022-2023)
- NATO-Ukraine Joint Press Statement, NATO (1995)
- Defense and Foreign Policy of Sweden and Finland, Statement by the Norwegian Deputy, NATO (1952)
- The North Atlantic Treaty, NATO (1949)
*Wildcard Resource*
- Brussels, the home of NATO, is also home to The French Fry Museum, the bar that holds the Guinness World Record for most beers offered (2,004), and the largest chocolate selling point worldwide. What’s not to love!
