NATO at 70: Former US Ambassadors to NATO on the Past and Future of the Alliance

PAST EVENT VIDEO

Panel

Former UN ambassadors Nicholas Burns, Victoria Nuland, Ivo Daalder, and Douglas Lute share their crucial political and military challenges as NATO ambassadors and discuss the future of the alliance.

Speakers

Nicholas Burns
Victoria Nuland
Ivo H. Daalder
Douglas Lute
Elise Labott

Event Date

April 23, 2019

About This Event

NATO was formed to "keep the Soviet Union out, the Americans in, and the Germans down," Lord Ismay, NATO’s first Secretary General once famously quipped. But as NATO turns 70 this year, political leaders on both sides of the Atlantic are questioning whether the alliance can withstand Russian resurgence, American isolationism, and German doubts. Ambassadors Burns, Nuland, Daalder, and Lute—all US ambassadors to NATO—collectively served in that capacity for nearly sixteen of the past eighteen years. From the 9/11 attacks and the launch of the War in Afghanistan to the Libyan Civil War and Russia’s annexation of Crimea, they have helped guide NATO through crucial political and military challenges. Join them for this exclusive members-only event as they share their defining moments as NATO ambassadors and discuss the future of the alliance.

About the Speakers

Nicholas Burns

US Ambassador to the People's Republic of China

Nicholas Burns is the Ambassador of the United States of America to the People’s Republic of China, nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the US Senate in December 2021. Burns has also had an extensive career in American diplomacy, serving under six US Presidents and nine Secretaries of State.

Victoria Nuland

US Ambassador to NATO, 2005-2008

Ivo H. Daalder

CEO, Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Ivo H. Daalder served as the US ambassador to NATO from 2009 to 2013. He joined the Council as president in 2013 and took on the new role of CEO in 2023. Previously, he was a senior fellow in foreign policy studies at the Brookings Institution and served as director for European affairs on President Bill Clinton’s National Security Council. He is the author or editor of 10 books.

Douglas Lute

Former US Ambassador to NATO

A career army officer, Lute retired from active duty as a lieutenant general after 35 years of service. In addition to serving as US Ambassador to NATO, Lute was also Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor to coordinate the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and ultimately spent a total of six years in the White House.

Elise Labott

Contributing Editor, POLITICO Magazine & CEO of Zivvy Media

Elise Labott is an adjunct professor at American University’s School of International Service and the founder and CEO of Zivvy Media, a digital platform to engage youth on global issues.