Turkey is now backing Sweden’s bid to join NATO, a reverse course for the country that has held up Sweden’s bid in joining the military alliance over the last year. The  a day before NATO leaders kicked off a two-day summit in Lithuania today. Experts also expect Ukraine to be on the agenda, as NATO members are split on whether to offer Ukraine a fast track to membership.

GW faculty experts are available to offer insight, analysis and commentary on the NATO summit happening this week and the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine war.


, professional lecturer of International Security, namely focusing on Turkey-US-NATO. He is an expert on Turkey and its neighbors, the greater Middle East and Northern Africa. Professor Beyoghlow taught at other universities in his decades long career and served as the Chair of the Department of Culture and Regional Studies, Chair of the Terrorism Studies Dept at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a Foreign Affairs Officer in the Office of the U.S. Coordinator for Counterterrorism where he worked closely with the former Turkish Ambassador to the US to strengthen US- Turkey relationship. His current research focuses on Turkey-EU-Nato. He could speak to Turkey backing Sweden’s NATO bid.

, an associate research professor of international affairs, is an expert on NATO affairs. He has taught classes on NATO’s strategic challenges and the Western responses to Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy. Lagadec’s research interests also include NATO projecting stability, sub-national transatlantic relations, and the politics of aid. Lagadec has looked closely at the idea of "Global NATO" and an "Alliance of democracies" as well as NATO's role in the Indo-Pacific. He will be attending the summit this week and can speak to the latest developments.

 is an assistant professor of political science whose research focuses on corruption, clientelism, and political economy in Russia, Western Europe, and the United States. He also serves as the associate director of the Program on New Approaches to Research and Security in Eurasia (PONARS Eurasia), a network of over 140 academics from North America and post-Soviet Eurasia which puts forward new approaches to research on security, politics, economics, and society in Russia and Eurasia. He can speak to contemporary events and politics in Russia and its war in Ukraine as well as Ukraine’s bid to join NATO. 

 is an adjunct professor teaching Russia & International Security, along with Security Policy Studies. He is an expert in international security, NATO, Russia, and Ukraine. His background in international affairs and military strategy gives him the ability to speak on the latest war developments in Ukraine.

 is a professor of international affairs, international business and finance. She also serves as the director of the European Union Research Center. Rehman has advised a number of institutions including OPIC, USAID, U.S. State Department, The World Bank, IMF, and Central Banks and Finance Ministers of Turkey, Nigeria, Peru, Mongolia, Hungary, Poland, Russia and China. Rehman can discuss the latest developments at the NATO summit as well as the impact of NATO expansion on international business, trade and international affairs.