In November and December, SIPRI hosted two events on risk reduction. The first event, a roundtable held on 26 November, focused on Northern Europe. With support from the Department for Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Export Control of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, it brought a group of experts and policymakers to Stockholm to explore the security environment in the region.
The roundtable explored the increased militarization, recent incidents and escalation risks in the region, including strategic stability dynamics related to the Arctic region. It considered how the concept of nuclear risk reduction might be applied to this regional context.
The second event, which took place on 4 December and was supported by the Swedish Institute, concentrated on risk reduction in the Baltic Sea region. Speakers discussed militarization and confrontational dynamics in the region, analysing recent close encounters between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and Russian forces. Practical risk reduction measures discussed included improved communication channels and other deconfliction mechanisms.