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Ylber Bajraktari
Vice President, Special Competitive Studies ProjectOpening keynote on how AI is reshaping the balance of power and what it means for national security.
Meet the speakers
Keynote speakers and panel fellows for DEFENDX 2026.
03THE KEYNOTES
Keynote Speakers
DEFENDX 2026
Daniel Serwer
Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Institute of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)Keynote remarks on alliances, security, and how smaller democracies navigate a changing world.
To be confirmed
Keynote speaker · announcement soonThe third keynote voice for DEFENDX 2026 will be announced soon.
04PANEL SPEAKERS
The panels
8 FELLOWS · 4 TOPICSUkraine and the Future of War
Putin's war against Ukraine has tragically become the proving ground for modern warfare. Cheap attritable drones, commercial satellite imagery and connectivity, battlefield software, and rapid innovation at the front have changed how wars are fought and how smaller states can defend against larger adversaries. This panel will examine critical lessons for national security from the war, and how nations such as Kosovo can build credible deterrence against hybrid threats through new technologies.
3 SPEAKERS · MODERATOR TBC
The Alliance Infrastructure for Technology Cooperation
As technology becomes central to economic strength and national security, no nation can secure its future alone. Trusted supply chains, shared standards, secure digital infrastructure, and joint research increasingly depend on allies and partners working together in critical tech areas. This panel will feature perspectives from Western government officials and industry partners on technology cooperation, and the opportunities and risks for nations like Kosovo in the global tech competition.
3 SPEAKERS · MODERATOR TBC
The Future of AI and National Security
Artificial intelligence is transforming the conduct, cost, and scale of nations' intelligence, cyber, information, military, diplomatic, and other national security operations. This panel will focus on how AI technology is evolving, how governments can adopt AI tools for their national security and public service missions, and how democracies can stay ahead of authoritarian competitors.
1 SPEAKER · MODERATOR TBC
