NATO and EU towards a common strategy against Russia hybrid warfare. The case for energy-resources-climate security nexus and the possible use of EDTs

ongoing

This research project seeks to explore possible common NATO and EU strategies to fight Russian hybrid warfare, in the crucial areas of the energy-resources-climate security nexus, taking into account the role of Emerging Disruptive Technologies (EDTs). It adopts an inter-disciplinary and policy-focused approach, integrating 2022 events with economic, political, and strategic studies. The project will focus on the development of strategic thinking in NATO and EU political-military institutions, to evaluate the gap between the strategic competition needs and the energy-resources-climate security policy results. The specific question this project aims to contribute to is: How can NATO collaborate with the EU by leveraging the dual use of EDTs to contain Russian strategic competition, especially in the areas of energy-resources-climate security nexus? Addressing this question will provide a range of empirical, policy, and theoretical contributions. The research has 3 specific objectives: SO1) Study what are the NATO new strategies to deal with the energy-resources-climate security nexus, to provide insights into Alliance support to Europe in the Russian weaponization of these areas. SO2) Analyze how NATO is developing its EDTs strategy to see how the dual use of new technologies can help in the energy-resource-climate security, and so the strategic competition with rivals. SO3) Investigate what could be the strategic possibilities of NATO-EU collaboration and offer innovative strategic possibilities to cooperate with different policy options. This project aims to examine whether and how NATO and the EU may help their member countries to decouple from Russia, at the energetic-resource level, deal with technological disruption in a way that becomes a strategic advantage, and deal with climate change in a way that changes it from a threat multiplier to an opportunity. This research will benefit my career allowing me to go back to work from NATO to academia in Italy.