NATO and Emerging Security Challenges: Beyond the Deterrence Paradigm
Michael Rühle
Until his retirement in August 2023, Michael Rühle headed the Climate and Energy Security Section in NATO’s Emerging Security Challenges Division. For several years, this position also included the development of NATO’s response to hybrid threats.
Previously he was Head, Speechwriting, in NATO’s Political Affairs Division, and Senior Political Advisor in the NATO Secretary General’s Policy Planning Unit. In these positions, he wrote speeches and articles for six Secretaries General and other high-ranking NATO officials.
Before joining NATO's International Staff in 1991, he worked at the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation in Sankt Augustin, Germany, and was a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in Washington, DC.
He holds an MA in international relations from the University of Bonn. He has published numerous articles and book chapters on transatlantic security issues, including in International Affairs (Chatham House), Parameters, Politico, and NATO Review. He also co-authored a book on missile defense and a monograph on nuclear deterrence.
Mr Rühle is a frequent speaker on NATO affairs. He is an Honorary Ancien of the NATO Defense College and a recipient of the Star of Lithuanian Diplomacy and the Bene Merito Medal bestowed by the Republic of Poland.
Michael Rühle is the head of Policy Planning for NATO’s Political Affairs Division in Brussels.
New security challenges, ranging from cyberattacks to failing states, cannot be deterred by the threat of military retaliation, nor will military operations be the appropriate response in most cases. Instead, the emphasis must be on prevention and enhancing resilience. If the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) wants to play a meaningful role in addressing such challenges, it will have to develop a clearer understanding of the nature of these challenges, build closer ties with other nations and institutions, and seek partnerships with the private sector. Above all, allies will have to use NATO as a forum for discussing emerging security challenges and their implications….Read More>
