“In Europe itself there is alike a new crystallization and a new diffusion of power.” - John F. Kennedy, 1957
In recent years, several European countries have formed regionalized sub-groups that more closely align with their own specific security concerns. These sub-groups, are essentially miniature security alliances within Europe. The countries forming regional sub-groups are either members of the European Union (EU), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), or both. While the international response to the recent proliferation of these regionalized sub-groups is quite varied, the question of how they will shape the NATO alliance is worth considering.
This session will explore the impact of regional sub-group on the NATO alliance and propose that these security clusters provide augmented security against Russian aggression. Their resulting impact is known as the adjuvant effect.
In medical terms, an adjuvant is a substance that improves the effectiveness of a vaccine by “improving the body’s response to a vaccination.” While an adjuvant substance does not improve the immune system itself, when used in conjunction with a vaccine, adjuvants ensure that the body develops enough antibodies to protect itself from the targeted germ. In other words, adjuvants do not produce immunity, but they do trigger better results in vaccines administered to fight against foreign pathogens. Applying this concept to geopolitics, regional sub-groups can serve as a stimulant, by augmenting NATO capabilities in opposition to potential threats against NATO member countries. When properly administered in conjunction with NATO operations these security adjuvants result in strategic inoculation.
