Cycle de conférences 2025/2026 – Mikhail Polianskii

Hybrid operations that blur the line between peace and war have evolved into one of Europe's most pervasive security challenges, exploiting legal and normative gaps while staying below thresholds that trigger conventional defense responses. This lecture will deconstruct the modern Russian toolkit—from GPS interference and infrastructure sabotage to weaponized migration and social media influence operations—explaining why traditional deterrence frameworks struggle to respond effectively. Using case studies from the Baltic states, Poland, and Western Europe, the presentation examines emerging EU counter-hybrid initiatives and resilience strategies, assessing their effectiveness against increasingly sophisticated gray-zone campaigns. The lecture concludes by exploring whether the EU and its individual member-states can preserve its open, democratic model while developing the proactive capabilities necessary to raise costs for hybrid aggression, addressing the fundamental tension between security imperatives and liberal democratic values.