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2025

Aspen Security Forum

July 15-18, 2025 | Aspen, CO

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2025 Agenda

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2025 Speakers

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2025 Videos and Transcripts

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Anja Manuel

Welcome Message from Anja Manuel

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ASPEN STRATEGY GROUP AND ASPEN SECURITY FORUM

 

Dear friends and colleagues,

The year 2025 has emerged as a time of profound global recalibration. 

Deadly and destabilizing conflicts in the Middle East and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine continue to challenge the world order, new alliances and trade agreements are evolving, and societies are racing to come to terms with artificial intelligence and other technologies, impacting every part of our lives.

 However, the vast majority of the world’s citizens, including its leaders, share something deeply human—a desire to reduce conflict, to build stability, and to create a more prosperous world.

But the tools we once relied on—strategic alliances, long-standing partnerships, institutional norms—may no longer function quite as they did decades ago. In our rapidly shifting global landscape, our task is not simply to respond as we always have, but to question assumptions that may no longer hold true:

We assumed that economic interdependence would be the norm, and lead to less conflict.

We assumed that technology would always serve us, not challenge us.

We assumed that institutions built in a different era would endure unchanged.

At Aspen, we seek to approach global challenges with a beginner’s mind—open, humble, and ready to discover new solutions. 

This summer, we will explore how releasing old assumptions can open the door to innovation, collaboration, and strategic recalibration.

Our founder Joe Nye—who sadly passed away this year—reminded us to retreat to nature to renew and reinvigorate our thinking. And so, we gather here once again, on this beautiful mountain, not only to assess risks, but to explore bold new approaches—clear-eyed, open-minded, and ready for the future.

Thank you for joining us.

See you in Aspen,

Anja Manuel
Executive Director
Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum

ASF Daily Recaps

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FAQ

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2025 Agenda

The 2025 Aspen Security Forum agenda is taking shape. Please note that all speakers and times are subject to change.

2025 SPEAKERS

The 2025 Forum features the highest caliber of speakers, including domestic and international government officials, business executives, leading academics, and noted journalists from around the world.

Statement on Department of Defense Participation at the 2025 Aspen Security Forum

For more than a decade, the Aspen Security Forum has welcomed senior officials—Republican and Democrat, civilian and military—as well as senior foreign officials and experts, who bring experience and diverse perspectives on matters of national security.

This year, we extended invitations to senior Trump administration officials, including several cabinet-level leaders. Today the Department of Defense gave their speakers guidance that they “will no longer be participating.”   

We will miss the participation of the Pentagon, but our invitations remain open. 

We are honored to host dozens of top national security voices, experts, business leaders and innovators, from across the political spectrum—and from across the world—at this year’s Forum. The Aspen Security Forum remains committed to providing a platform for informed, non-partisan debate about the most important security challenges facing the world.

Videos and Transcripts

Opening Remarks

Opening Remarks

NICHOLAS BURNS, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group; Former Ambassador of the United States to China; Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Harvard Kennedy School // ANJA MANUEL, Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum
Fireside Chat with Nicholas Burns

Fireside Chat with Nicholas Burns

NICHOLAS BURNS, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group; Former Ambassador of the United States to China; Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Harvard Kennedy School // Moderator: // ZANNY MINTON BEDDOES, The Economist
Tanks But No Tanks: The Future of European Defense

Tanks But No Tanks: The Future of European Defense

BAIBA BRAŽE, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Latvia // WOLFGANG SCHMIDT, Former Federal Minister and Head of the Chancellery; Chairman, Board of Trustees, MSC Foundation // THÓRDÍS KOLBRÚN REYKFJÖRD GYLFADÓTTIR, Special Envoy of the Secretary General on the Situation of Children of Ukraine, Council of Europe; Former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Iceland // JULIE SMITH, President, Clarion Strategies; Former U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO // Moderator: // SHASHANK JOSHI, The Economist
Zero Gravity, High Stakes: The Future of Space

Zero Gravity, High Stakes: The Future of Space

GENERAL TIM RAY, President and Chief Executive Officer, Business Executives for National Security; Former Commander, Air Force Global Strike Command // NINA ARMAGNO, Chair, Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on U.S. Space Policy; Former Lieutenant General, U.S. Space Force // JANE HARMAN, Chair, Council on Foreign Relations Task Force on U.S. Space Policy; Former Congresswoman; Chair, Commission on the National Defense Strategy; Aspen Institute Trustee // ROBERT LIGHTFOOT, President, Lockheed Martin Space // Moderator: // GORDON LUBOLD, NBC News
Watts Up: Energy Security in an Era of Shifting Geopolitics

Watts Up: Energy Security in an Era of Shifting Geopolitics

DAN BROUILLETTE, Co-Chairman, Torridon Group LLC; 15th U.S. Secretary of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy // JOEL SAMPAIO, Speaker, Brazilian Foreign Ministry // JASON BORDOFF, Founding Director, Center on Global Energy Policy, Columbia University // MEGHAN O’SULLIVAN, Director, Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard University // Moderator: // ZANNY MINTON BEDDOES, The Economist
Navigating Great Power Competition: Global POVs

Navigating Great Power Competition: Global POVs

ELBEGDORJ TSAKHIA, Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Former President and Former Prime Minister of Mongolia // CLAUDIA RUIZ MASSIEU, Congresswoman, Chamber of Deputies of Mexico; Former Foreign Minister of Mexico // BALÁZS ORBÁN, Political Director for the Prime Minister; Member of Parliament, Hungary // HINA RABBANI KHAR, Former Foreign Minister of Pakistan; Chairperson of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs Committee // Moderator: // JIM SCIUTTO, CNN
Cyber Intelligence: An Enabler of Security and Resilience

Cyber Intelligence: An Enabler of Security and Resilience

JOHAN GERBER, Executive Vice President, Head of Security Solutions, Mastercard // ROB JOYCE, Founder, Joyce Cyber; Former Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator, U.S. National Security Council // JENNA BEN-YEHUDA, Executive Vice President, Atlantic Council // Moderator: // DAVID SANGER, The New York Times
The Weight of the World: International Aid and Trade

The Weight of the World: International Aid and Trade

WALLY ADEYEMO, Former Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Department of the Treasury // COMFORT ERO, President and CEO, International Crisis Group // HENRIETTA HOLSMAN FORE, Chairman and CEO, Holsman International; Former Executive Director, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and UNICEF // Moderator: // DAFNA LINZER, U.S. News & World Report
Israel at a Crossroads

Israel at a Crossroads

AMOS YADLIN, President and Founder, MIND Israel; Former Chief, IDF Intelligence Directorate // MICHAEL HERZOG, Former Ambassador of Israel to the United States; Tisch Distinguished Fellow, Washington Institute for Near East Policy // BRETT MCGURK, Venture Partner, Lux Capital; Former National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa // DAN SENOR, Partner, Elliott Investment Management; Co-Author, THE GENIUS OF ISRAEL & START-UP NATION; Host, CALL ME BACK Podcast // Moderator: // MARY LOUISE KELLY, NPR
The China Challenge: Rivalry and the Road Ahead

The China Challenge: Rivalry and the Road Ahead

STEPHEN BIEGUN, Former Deputy Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State // REINHARD BÜTIKOFER, Senior Adviser, European Policy Center; Former Member, European Parliament // ELIZABETH ECONOMY, Hargrove Senior Fellow and Co-Director of the U.S., China, and the World Program, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Former Senior Advisor for China, U.S. Department of Commerce // Moderator: // LINGLING WEI, The Wall Street Journal
A New Playbook: The Future of U.S. Competitiveness

A New Playbook: The Future of U.S. Competitiveness

CHRIS BROSE, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Anduril // CHRIS GEORGE, President and GM, Intel Government Technologies, Intel // MIKE SCHNABEL, Vice President of International Operations and Policy, The Boeing Company // Moderator: // NICK SCHIFRIN, PBS News Hour
India’s Geopolitical Moment?

India’s Geopolitical Moment?

SHAURYA DOVAL, Member Governing Council, India Foundation // ŠUMIT GANGULY, Director, Huntington Program on Strengthening U.S.-India Relations, Hoover Institution, Stanford University // SACHIN PILOT, Former Minister, Corporate Affairs, Telecom & Information Technology, Government of India; General Secretary, Indian National Congress // Moderator: // EDWARD LUCE, Financial Times
Cracking the Code: AI and National Security

Cracking the Code: AI and National Security

CHARLIE DENT, Executive Director and Vice President, Congressional Program, Aspen Institute; Former Member of Congress (R) PA-15 // TARUN CHHABRA, Head of National Security, Anthropic; Distinguished Visiting Fellow, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; Former National Security Council Coordinator for Technology and National Security // KATRINA MULLIGAN, OpenAI for Government, OpenAI // Moderator: // KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN
Frontlines and Fault Lines: Russia, Ukraine, and Beyond

Frontlines and Fault Lines: Russia, Ukraine, and Beyond

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group; Tad and Dianne Taube Director and Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; 66th U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State // PASI RAJALA, Political State Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Defence, Finland // HALYNA YANCHENKO, Member, Supreme Council of Ukraine; Head of Investment Taskforce for Defense Industry // SUSAN GLASSER, Staff Writer and Columnist, The New Yorker // Moderator: // ANDREA MITCHELL, NBC News
Building the Arsenal of Innovation

Building the Arsenal of Innovation

IGOR JABLOKOV, Chairman and Founder, Pryon // JOHN SERAFINI, CEO, HawkEye 360 // Moderator: // SHASHANK JOSHI, The Economist
A Turning Point for Tehran?

A Turning Point for Tehran?

STEPHEN HADLEY, Founding Principal, Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC; Former U.S. National Security Advisor // RACHEL BRONSON, Senior Advisor, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists // VALI NASR, Majid Khadduri Professor of Middle East Studies and International Affairs, School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University // DAVID SANGER, White House and National Security Correspondent, The New York Times // Moderator: // DAFNA LINZER, U.S. News and World Report
The International Economy and the Art of the (Trade) Deal

The International Economy and the Art of the (Trade) Deal

JONATHAN BLACK, Deputy National Security Advisor, Cabinet Office, United Kingdom // PENNY PRITZKER, Chairman, PSP Partners; 38th U.S. Secretary of Commerce // ROBERT ZOELLICK, Chairman, Temasek Americas; Former President, World Bank; Former U.S. Trade Representative // Moderator: // EDWARD LUCE, Financial Times
A Conversation on the Middle East

A Conversation on the Middle East

DAVID PETRAEUS, Partner, Chairman of the Global Institute and Chairman of KKR Middle East; Former Director, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency // KIM GHATTAS, Financial Times Contributing Editor; Author of Black Wave // Moderator: // DAVID IGNATIUS, The Washington Post
Fireside Chat with Commissioner Andrius Kubilius

Fireside Chat with Commissioner Andrius Kubilius

ANDRIUS KUBILIUS, Commissioner for Defence and Space, European Commission; Former Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania // Moderator: // JONATHAN MARTIN, POLITICO
The View from the Senate

The View from the Senate

CHRIS COONS, U.S. Senator for Delaware, U.S. Senate // MARK WARNER, U.S. Senator for Virginia, U.S. Senate // Moderator: // PETER BAKER, The New York Times
From Cybercrime to Deepfakes: Securing the Public Square

From Cybercrime to Deepfakes: Securing the Public Square

GINNY BADANES, General Manager, Tech for Society, Microsoft // JEH JOHNSON, Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees, Columbia University; 4th U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Homeland Security // Moderator: // STEVE CLEMONS, The National Interest
Power, Security, and Influence in the AI Era

Power, Security, and Influence in the AI Era

DAVID PETRAEUS, Partner, Chairman of the Global Institute and Chairman of KKR Middle East; Former Director, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency // ANJA MANUEL, Executive Director, Aspen Strategy Group and Aspen Security Forum; Principal, Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC // KENT WALKER, President of Global Affairs, Google // Moderator: // MARY LOUISE KELLY, NPR
Charting a Course in the Indo-Pacific

Charting a Course in the Indo-Pacific

NICHOLAS BURNS, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group; Former Ambassador of the United States to China; Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations, Harvard Kennedy School // KEVIN RUDD, Ambassador of Australia to the United States; Former Prime Minister of Australia // MICHAEL J. GREEN, Professor and CEO, United States Studies Centre; Former Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and Senior Director for Asian Affairs, National Security Council // Moderator: // DEMETRI SEVASTOPULO, Financial Times
The Long View From Aspen

The Long View From Aspen

CONDOLEEZZA RICE, Co-Chair, Aspen Strategy Group; Tad and Dianne Taube Director and Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy, Hoover Institution, Stanford University; 66th U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Department of State // ROBERT GATES, Principal, Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel LLC; 22nd U.S. Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense // MARK ESPER, 27th Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense; Partner, Red Cell Partners Venture Capital // JAKE SULLIVAN, Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order, Harvard Kennedy School; Former U.S. National Security Advisor // Moderator: // STEVE CLEMONS, The National Interest
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DAILY RECAPS

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FAQ

Where is the Forum held?

The Aspen Security Forum is held at the Aspen Meadows Resort at:

845 Meadows Rd
Aspen, CO 81611

Our sessions on Tuesday, July 15 will be held in the Greenwald Pavilion. All sessions on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will be in the McNulty room in the Doerr-Hosier building. Printed copies of the campus map will be provided on site.

Where do I register and check-in?

Registration will take place on Tuesday, July 15 in the lobby of the Doerr-Hosier Center starting at 11:00 AM and will remain open during Forum programming hours through Friday, July 18. You can stop by anytime to pick up your credentials, swag bag, and program materials. Due to increased security on campus, we ask you to wear your badge at all times during the Forum. Badges are non-transferable. 

Where is the list of confirmed speakers and the most up-to-date agenda?

The most up-to-date version of the agenda can be found here. Please note that, given the nature of our speakers’ and moderators’ work and schedules, all panels are subject to change.

What is the best way to get to campus?

The Aspen Security Forum will provide complimentary shuttle service for the duration of the conference (July 15-18). The shuttle will run on a continuous loop from downtown Aspen to the Aspen Institute campus. Please consult the transportation section of our logistics memo here for the most up-to-date shuttle times. The town of Aspen also participates in WE-Cycle, a state-of-the-art, fully automated bike system that includes 100 bikes available to rent at 14 stations 24/7. For attendees who wish to walk to the Forum, the Aspen Meadows Resort is a short walk from downtown Aspen.

Will there be parking at the Forum?

No parking is available on campus for attendees during the Forum. Only hotel guests, security details, and those who receive parking passes issued by the Aspen Institute will have access to parking. We strongly encourage attendees to use the Aspen Security Forum shuttle or cross-town shuttle.

Is there a dress code?

Attire throughout the Forum is what we call “Aspen casual,” which means no ties for men, and jackets are not required, though some may wear sport coats. Dress is similarly “smart casual” for women.

Is any food served during the Forum?

Participants are invited to an opening reception at the Doerr-Hosier Center on the evening of Tuesday, July 15 immediately following the opening sessions. On the main days of programmingJuly 16, 17, and 18breakfast and lunch will be available, along with morning and afternoon refreshments. Lunch will be available in the Walter Isaacson Center and the Marble Garden Tent. Espressos, lattes, and other coffee services will be available in the Google Pavilion starting at 7:30 AM on July 16, 17, and 18. 

Light refreshments are available periodically throughout the day in the Doerr-Hosier Center. Vegetarian options are always available during the Forum. À-la-carte service is also available at the West End Social in the Walter Isaacson Center.

Is there an X handle and/or hashtag for the Aspen Security Forum?

Yes! Find us on X @AspenSecurity and use the hashtag #AspenSecurity.

Is there available meeting space for one-on-one meetings?

There are no private meeting spaces available. However, there are public areas throughout campus for side conversations, including the Aspen Meadows lobby, terraces of the Doerr-Hosier Building, and the Google Pavilion. These meetings must be independently coordinated, and Aspen Security Forum staff members are unable to provide logistical support.

What is your no weapons policy?

As part of our commitment to ensure the well-being of our event participants and staff, we have a no-weapons policy for all our locations, events, meetings, and convenings, wherever they occur. This policy is in effect regardless of whether an individual has a concealed weapons permit, or whether the location permits carrying weapons. The only exception is for law enforcement or security the Institute has engaged or allowed at its convenings, but only as part of their official role.

Can I record or take photographs of activities at the Aspen Security Forum? Will my voice or image be used?

Activities at the Aspen Security Forum may be recorded or photographed, and the audio, video, and images created may be displayed, distributed, and/or broadcast online, on television or radio, or in print publications. By attending, you are consenting to the use of your image or voice for these purposes.

What is the closest airport to Aspen?

The closest airport to Aspen is the Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (ASE). 

Does registration include hotel and airfare?

No, registration does not include hotel and airfare. Attendees must book their own travel to and from Aspen, as well as their hotel stay throughout the Forum. For information on hotels in Aspen, please consult the ASF Lodging Guide. Please note that there is no lodging available for attendees at the Aspen Meadows Resort during the Aspen Security Forum.

What kind of restaurants are in Aspen?

Aspen is home to a number of fantastic small restaurants that serve a variety of different types of cuisine. Please visit the Aspen Chamber Resort Association’s dining page here for recommendations. Book your table soon, as restaurants tend to fill up fast during the summer months!

What is the weather like in Aspen?

Temperatures in Aspen range from an average of 78 degrees during the day to 63 degrees at night. The temperature cools significantly in the evening and afternoon thunderstorms are not uncommon, so please be sure to pack accordingly.

How can I mitigate the effects of altitude sickness?

Aspen is located 7,980 feet above sea level, making altitude sickness a common health concern for visitors. We recommend that travelers drink plenty of water as fluids will help your body adjust. It is also highly recommended that attendees avoid alcohol and caffeine on their first few days in Aspen.

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