Hybrid operations that blur the line between peace and war have evolved into one of Europe’s most pervasive security challenges, exploiting legal and normative gaps while remaining below the thresholds that trigger conventional defense responses.
Mikhail Polianskii's lecture “Invisible Invasion? Russia's Hybrid Warfare and Europe's Evolving Countermeasures” launches the 2025–2026 Speaker Series of the Jean Monnet Centre Montréal. He will deconstruct the modern Russian toolkit – from GPS interference and infrastructure sabotage to weaponized migration and social media influence operations – explaining why traditional deterrence frameworks struggle to respond effectively. Using case studies from the Baltic states, Poland, and Western Europe, the presentation examines emerging EU counter-hybrid initiatives and resilience strategies, assessing their effectiveness against increasingly sophisticated gray-zone campaigns. The lecture concludes by exploring whether the EU and its member states can preserve their open, democratic model while developing the proactive capabilities necessary to raise the costs of hybrid aggression – addressing the fundamental tension between security imperatives and liberal democratic values.
The discussion will be moderated by Emmanuelle Rousseau (Université du Québec à Montréal).
When: November 19, 2025, 12:30–14:00 UTC−5
Where: UQAM, Department of Political Science, Room R-3540
The lecture will be held in English, and online registration is required. Further information can be found on the Jean Monnet Centre Montréal.