23rd Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum – Ominous Security Challenges from Adversarial Nation States

Ambassador John Bolton expressed gratitude to the conference attendees and emphasized the significance of parliamentary collaboration in addressing escalating national security challenges. He contended that the contemporary threat environment is more expansive and intricate than in the past, encompassing conventional warfare, terrorism, cyber threats, influence operations, economic coercion, and artificial intelligence. Bolton criticized the United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, asserting that it emboldened adversaries and contributed to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He underscored the necessity of sustaining support for Ukraine, fortifying deterrence across military, cyber, and economic domains, and remaining vigilant against authoritarian powers, particularly China, which he cautioned is closely monitoring Western responses to Russia. Concluding that the global landscape has become more perilous, he emphasized the imperative for robust alliances, legislative action, sufficient defense resources, and resolute deterrence to confront 21st-century security challenges.