RAND Experts Available to Discuss NATO Meeting

Amb. Robert Hunter, Stephen Larrabee, Olga Oliker and Lowell Schwartz of the RAND Corporation are available for interviews to discuss the upcoming NATO summit in Lisbon, Nov. 19-20. Among the topics they can address:

• What is the new "Strategic Concept" and what will it mean for U.S. interests?

• What are the core issues President Obama should address?

• How will cuts in European defense spending affect NATO's deterrence ability?

• What should NATO (and the United States) do about missile defenses in Central Europe?

• How should NATO manage its relationship with Russia?

• Is NATO still relevant?

Amb. Robert Hunter is a senior advisor at RAND and former NATO ambassador, specializing in NATO, Russia and military strategy. He is the author of recent commentaries including "U.S.-NATO Immersion Course" and "Georgia: Breakdown of Vision the West Had for a New Europe."

Stephen Larrabee holds the RAND Chair in European Strategy and specializes in NATO, Russia, Turkey, and Eastern Europe. He is the author of recent commentaries including "A Trans-Atlantic Moment" and "Afghanistan: The Regional Solution."

Olga Oliker is a senior international policy analyst at RAND who specializes in political and security issues affecting Russia, Central Asia, Ukraine and the Caucasus. She has followed arms control negotiations between the United States and Russia and both countries' nuclear weapon policies for the past two decades.

Lowell Schwartz is a RAND political scientist focusing on Cold War history, national security and defense strategy, nuclear weapons issues, and nuclear proliferation. He is the co-author of "Russian Foreign Policy: Sources and Implications."