Hard diplomacy, soft war – a solution to the hybrid threats of a global world?

Gl. (ret.) James L. Jones

On May 24, 2016, on the margins of the program “Security in the Black Sea Region. Shared Challenges, Sustainable Future”, General James L. Jones (USA) met students from the “Mihai Viteazul” National Intelligence Academy within the framework of a debate on the topic “Hard Diplomacy, Soft War – a Solution to the Hybrid Threats of a Global War?”, an event moderated by Major General Ion Grosu, Deputy Director of the Romanian Intelligence Service.

General (ret.) James L. Jones is president of the Brent Scowcroft Center for international security within the Atlantic Council of the United States. His exceptional military career built up to positions such as supreme commander of the Allied forces in Europe – SACEUR, commander of the US forces in Europe – USEUCOM. He is also a former national security advisor to US President Barack Obama (January 2009 – October 2010).

General Jones began his lecture by emphasizing the strategic role of the Black Sea region to the North-Atlantic security, pointing out the need to strengthen the regional security on here levels: economic development, good governance and rule of law. He also mentioned the importance of the partnership between Romania and the United States in the current geopolitical context, marked by the emergence of new menaces that exceed the classical pattern of military threats.

The guest wanted to stress out the dynamics of the security environment in the last 25 years, which evolved from the Cold War to new hybrid challenges and threats, fact which prompted a shift from reactive actions to proactive policies, also noting the role of the latter in preventing possible conflicts in the future. In this respect, General James Jones underlined the importance of partnerships and the need to continue to invest in alliances, an aspect which involves supplementing hard power instruments in the portfolio of some states with soft power ones.

In the closing part, General (ret.) James L. Jones congratulated Romania and our institution for the contribution and professionalism proved within the Euro-Atlantic security and intelligence community and received the honorary plaque of the “Mihai Viteazul” National Intelligence Academy from Colonel Niculae Iancu, Rector of the Academy.