The Transatlantic Watchtower: Iceland’s Role in Great Power Competition

A founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Iceland has been a vital ally and partner to the United States for nearly 80 years. Positioned at the crossroads of the North Atlantic and the Arctic, its strategic importance to transatlantic security far exceeds its geographic size. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently described Iceland as the alliance’s “eyes and ears” for its critical role in securing vital transatlantic air and sea routes.How is Iceland adapting to the era of great power competition? What does the future hold for US-Icelandic bilateral relations?Join us for an in-depth conversation with Guðrún Hafsteinsdóttir, member of the Icelandic Parliament and leader of the Independence Party, on great power dynamics, Iceland’s role in transatlantic security, and bilateral cooperation. 

In April 2025, toward the beginning of the 119th Congress, Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) announced at Hudson Institute the introduction of the SHIPS For America Act, a comprehensive proposal to revitalize America’s commercial maritime industries. The bill is aligned with the Trump administration’s aggressive maritime agenda and enjoys strong bipartisan, bicameral support.Join Senators Kelly and Young as they return to Hudson to discuss the bill’s prospects during this Congress’s homestretch. After the senators’ remarks, two expert panels will discuss how the maritime industry is preparing to respond.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is set to arrive in Washington this fall amid a tenuous bilateral relationship. Since the May summit between President Donald Trump and Xi in Beijing, artificial intelligence has solidified as a central axis of competition, Chinese support for Iran’s wartime economy continues, and major military and trade questions remain unresolved.  What is the status of the relationship, and how can America maximize its leverage over the Chinese Communist Party—particularly in technology and AI?  Join Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy, for a discussion on the state of the United States–China relationship and Congress’s role in the competition.  

On June 26, Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement brokered by the United States, the first bilateral understanding between Jerusalem and Beirut since the May 17 Agreement of 1983. The two governments committed to implement security measures under which the Israel Defense Forces would withdraw from southern Lebanon and be replaced by units of the Lebanese Armed Forces, which would oversee Hezbollah’s disarmament.Does this diplomatic breakthrough open the door to a new chapter for the Lebanese people? Can the Lebanese government muster the will to confront Hezbollah? Or does the consensus-based mode of governance in Beirut doom the possibility of real change? Experts from leading Washington think tanks will come together at Hudson Institute to discuss the prospects for stability in Lebanon and for future Israel-Lebanon relations.

Following the establishment of diplomatic ties between Somaliland and Taiwan in 2020, Somaliland returned to international news last year when Israel became the first country to recognize the self-governing state’s independence since Somaliland re-declared independence in 1991. Since then, the Iran war, the Houthis’ continued provocations in Yemen, China’s ongoing influence throughout Africa, as well as Russian and Iranian inroads in East Africa have highlighted the strategic importance of pro-Western Somaliland.In his first visit to the United States since winning the presidency in November 2024, Somaliland President Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (“Irro”) will deliver a keynote speech at Hudson Institute followed by a fireside chat with Senior Fellow Joshua Meservey.

Cooperation in semiconductors and artificial intelligence is vital to the United States–Japan alliance. Two developments demonstrate the potential of this partnership: the Rapidus-IBM effort to produce advanced two-nanometer chips in Hokkaido, and Japan’s decision to be the first foreign partner in the Trump administration’s Genesis Mission for AI-powered research and development.Join Hudson Institute’s Japan Chair for a conference to showcase and strengthen US-Japan cooperation in semiconductors and AI. US Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Innovation and Engagement Bill Guidera will deliver an opening keynote before engaging in a fireside chat with Senior Fellow William Chou. Later, Rapidus CEO Atsuyoshi Koike, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, and Director-General Kazumi Nishikawa of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry will deliver remarks. They will participate in a panel discussion and take questions from the audience.

President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung issued an ambitious alliance fact sheet last November. It codified security and economic priorities, including increased South Korean defense spending and investment in United States shipbuilding, US support for Seoul’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines, and preparations for the eventual transfer of wartime operational control.Both presidents are eager to reengage North Korea even as Pyongyang strengthens its nuclear arsenal and entrenches its status as a nuclear-armed state. An even larger strategic question is how Washington and Seoul will manage relations with China, whose growing power increasingly shapes both regional security and the global economy. Sustaining cooperation with Japan and other US allies and partners cuts across each of these challenges.Join Hudson Institute for an in-person and livestreamed discussion bringing together American experts and some of South Korea’s leading analysts. The program will feature two panels examining the future of the US–South Korea alliance and the regional challenges it faces.

Tricia Paoletta, senior advisor for spectrum at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, will join Hudson Institute’s Center for the Economics of the Internet to provide a keynote address on the Trump administration’s progress in managing and reallocating the electromagnetic radio frequency spectrum from the federal domain.Following the keynote address, a panel of experts will discuss the importance of spectrum in the non-federal domain.  

Amid continued geopolitical volatility, price instability, and rising demand driven by electrification and artificial intelligence, nuclear energy is a strategic pillar of Europe’s economic and technological security. Beyond providing secure, affordable, and clean electricity, nuclear power underpins the infrastructure needed for the AI economy while reducing dependence on volatile fossil fuel imports. Yet Europe remains significantly dependent on Russian nuclear fuel, fuel-cycle services, spare parts, and engineering expertise across several member states.This event will examine how expanding nuclear deployment can strengthen Europe’s energy and economic security by reducing import dependence, improving system reliability, and lowering emissions, while addressing key barriers, including financing, regulation, supply chain resilience, and strategic technology dependencies. The discussion will build upon the Center for the Study of Democracy’s 2026 Energy and Climate Security Risk Index.Join Senior Fellow Matt Boyse for a discussion with senior US policymakers, nuclear industry leaders, and energy experts about how enhanced transatlantic cooperation on advanced nuclear technologies, fuel-cycle resilience, and next-generation energy infrastructure can reinforce European industrial competitiveness and long-term energy security.

The Hudson Institute Center for Peace and Security in the Middle East was honored to host Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) for a conversation with Senior Fellow Ken Moriyasu on the strategic and economic importance of Central Asia.Central Asia is rapidly becoming one of the most important centers of global geopolitics. From August 30 to September 1, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, hosted an extraordinary convergence of world leaders surrounding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit and the opening of the World Nomad Games. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and other regional leaders gathered in the capital, underscoring the intensifying competition for influence in Eurasia.The discussion explored how expanded US engagement in Central Asia can help counter China’s global economic influence, reduce Russia’s energy leverage over Europe, and strengthen access to critical resources.