The National Security Institute (NSI) and the Embassies of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Czechia hosted a panel discussion on the future of collective defense in the era of cyber conflict. The conversation explored how NATO can strengthen its cyber deterrence posture, address the evolving threat landscape posed by Russia and China, and clarify thresholds for collective response under Article 5.
We were honored to welcome Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Chairman of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on Securities, Insurance, and Investment, to deliver opening remarks. As a member of the Senate Armed Services, Intelligence, Appropriations, and Banking Committees, Senator Rounds brought deep national security and oversight expertise to this timely conversation.
As adversaries increasingly turn to cyber and hybrid tactics to destabilize allied nations—from critical infrastructure attacks to disinformation operations—this event will examine how NATO can modernize its doctrine and capabilities to meet 21st-century challenges.
Speakers:
- Opening Remarks
- Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD)
- Panelists
- Jan Havránek, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of the Czech Republic
- Ambassador Elita Kuzma, Ambassador of Latvia, Embassy of Latvia
- Ambassador Kristjan Prikk, Ambassador of Estonia, Embassy of Estonia
- Ambassador Gediminas Varvuolis, Ambassador of Lithuania, Embassy of Lithuania
- Moderator
- Martha Miller, NSI Deputy Executive Director
Speaker Bios:
Senator Mike Rounds
On January 6th, 2015, Senator Marion Michael “Mike” Rounds was sworn into the United States Senate. Senator Rounds serves on five committees: Senate Appropriations; Senate Armed Services; Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs; Indian Affairs; and the Select Committee on Intelligence.
Rounds previously served as the 31st governor of South Dakota from 2003 – 2011. From 1991 to 2000, he was elected five times to the South Dakota State Senate. In 1995, his colleagues selected him to serve as Senate Majority Leader, a position that he held for six years. During his time in state government, Rounds was committed to growing the economy, keeping taxes low and strengthening South Dakota families.
A lifelong South Dakotan, Senator Rounds was born in Huron, the eldest of 11 children. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from South Dakota State University. In the private sector, Rounds built a successful insurance and real estate business with offices throughout the state. He resides in Fort Pierre and is the proud parent of four grown children and 11 grandchildren.
Jan Havránek
Jan Havránek is the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington, DC.
Prior to his appointment, he served as the Deputy Minister of Defence responsible for defence policy and strategy, international cooperation, defence planning and crisis management (2020-2022).
He previously was the Policy Adviser at the Policy Planning Unit of the Office of the NATO Secretary General in Brussels (2017-2020); Head of Defense Section at the Czech Republic’s Permanent Representation to NATO in Brussels (2014-2017); Assistant First Deputy Minister of Defense (2013-2014); and foreign policy advisor to Minister of Defence (2010-2012).
Jan Havranek is a frequent speaker and commentator on international security, transatlantic relations, hybrid warfare, NATO, EU and other related subjects. In 2013, he was named to the Diplomatic Courier’s annual list of the “Top 99 Under 33 Foreign Policy Leaders.” His other engagements have included cooperation with GLOBSEC projects (2011-2013), fellowship at Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA, 2013-2014); and work for the Prague Security Studies Institute (PSSI, 2003-2006) and the Association for International Affairs in Prague (AMO, 2002-2007)
Jan holds a master’s degree in international security studies from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University (2009).
H.E. Ms. Elita Kuzma
Ambassador Elita Kuzma joined the Foreign Service of the restored Republic of Latvia in 1992, taking up a post at the Economic Cooperation Division. After that, Elita Kuzma worked at the Western Europe Division, to later become Director of the First Political Department and then Under Secretary, Head of the First Political Directorate. She has also served as Ambassador, Head of the Economic and Bilateral Relations Directorate, Ambassador, Head of the European Union Directorate, and Head of the State Protocol.
Ambassador Elita Kuzma has amassed considerable professional experience during her postings abroad as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to the Republic of Austria, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Italian Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Czech Republic as well as Permanent Representative to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation.
Ambassador Elita Kuzma has been accredited as non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary, the Swiss Confederation, the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Slovakia, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Republic of San Marino, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Albania, the State of Kuwait, the Republic of Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Holy See, and the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta.
Ambassador Elita Kuzma has graduated from the Faculty of Finance and Trade, and the Institute of International Relations of the University of Latvia. She received further education at Stanford University’s Hoover Institute in the US and George C. Marshall European Centre for Security Studies in Germany.
Ambassador Elita Kuzma is married and has a daughter. Ambassador Kuzma has a profound appreciation for the beautiful Latvian culture and arts, she enjoys classical music, and in her free time enjoys skiing and other outdoor sports. Recognizing the significant function woman play in the Latvian society, embodying strength, resilience and cultural continuity, Ambassador Elita Kuzma is the first woman to be accredited as the ambassador to the United States, and supports both women’s and young people’s dreams to better the global community.
H.E. Mr. Kristjan Prikk
Kristjan Prikk has served as Estonia’s Ambassador to the United States since May 2021. This is his third diplomatic posting to Washington, DC.
Before assuming his current duties, Prikk served for nearly three years as the Permanent Secretary of the Estonian Ministry of Defense. In this role he was responsible for the management of the Ministry and for the coordination of activities of the agencies under the Ministry, including the Estonian Defense Forces, the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, and the Centre for Defense Investments.
Prior to becoming the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Prikk worked as Undersecretary for Defense Policy in the Ministry of Defense from July 2017 to August 2018. From 2015 to 2017 Mr. Prikk was the Director of National Security and the Defense Coordination Unit of the Estonian Government Office, coordinating the development and implementation of the whole-of-government interagency approach to national defense in Estonia and advising the Prime Minister on these issues. He also served as Deputy Director of the same office for two years prior to becoming the Director in 2015.
His previous Ministry of Defense assignments include serving as Defense Counsellor at the Estonian Embassy in Washington, D.C. (2010-2013) and as Director of International Cooperation Department in Tallinn (2007-2010).
Prior to joining the Ministry of Defense, Mr. Prikk worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on NATO issues mainly pertaining to its enlargement and its partnership with Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia in the Security Policy and Arms Control Bureau (2006-2007). Additionally, he has held assignments as a diplomat covering trade and economic issues at the Estonian Embassy in Washington (2002-2006) and as a foreign trade and World Trade Organization specialist at the Foreign Ministry’s headquarters in Tallinn (1999-2002).
Mr. Prikk holds a Master’s degree from the Strategic Studies Program of the United States Army War College (2013) and a Bachelor’s degree in political science and economics from the University of Tartu, Estonia (2000).
In 2000-2001, Mr. Prikk performed his required military service in the Estonian Defense Forces, where he remains a reserve officer, and is also a member of Estonia’s voluntary defense organization Kaitseliit (Estonian Defense League). He has been decorated with the Order of the White Star (4th Class) by the President of the Republic of Estonia, the Cross of Merit (1st Class) of the Ministry of Defense of Estonia, as well as other decorations from the Estonian Defense Forces, the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, and the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board, among others.
Mr. Prikk is married to Liis, with whom he has two daughters and a son.
H.E. Mr. Gediminas Varvuolis
Ambassador Gediminas Varvuolis currently serves as the Ambassador of the Republic of Lithuania to the United States, having assumed his post in August 2025.
A career diplomat, Ambassador Varvuolis most recently served as Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, where he led Lithuania’s work on regional connectivity and the Three Seas Initiative. He previously held ambassadorial postings to the Kingdom of Belgium (2013–2018) and Japan (2018–2021), with concurrent accreditation to several countries in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Ambassador Varvuolis has held a wide range of senior positions within the Lithuanian foreign service. He served as Deputy Head of the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to NATO, Ministerial Advisor on transatlantic cooperation, and Director of the Department of Transatlantic Cooperation and Security Policy. Earlier in his career, he worked at the Lithuanian Embassy in France and led divisions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs focused on NATO integration, crisis management, and threat analysis.
He began his diplomatic service in 1995 after graduating from Vilnius University with a degree in history. He later earned a Diplôme d’études approfondies (DEA) in international relations from the Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po).
Ambassador Varvuolis is fluent in Lithuanian, English, French, and Russian. He is married and has a strong personal interest in sports and cultural affairs. In 2021, he carried the Olympic torch as part of the Tokyo Summer Olympics relay.
Martha Miller
Martha Miller is the Deputy Executive Director at the National Security Institute (NSI), where she leads strategic initiatives, operational management, policy outreach, and partnerships across government, academia, and the private sector. With over 20 years of experience in U.S. foreign policy, national security, and transatlantic relations, she has served in senior roles at the White House, Capitol Hill, and the State Department.
During the Bush Administration, Martha served as Special Assistant to President George W. Bush, advising on national security and diplomatic appointments, presidential delegations, and international assemblies. Prior to her White House tenure, she worked for five years on Capitol Hill, serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and as Legislative Assistant to Senator Gordon Smith. She also served in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, where she managed the Bureau’s legislative agenda.
Her background includes extensive experience in public diplomacy and transatlantic relations. She previously held roles at the International Republican Institute (IRI), the Bundestag, Amerika Haus (Heidelberg), and the U.S. Embassy Office in Berlin. She studied at l’Université Paul Valéry-Montpellier III and speaks French and German.
Martha graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with a Bachelor of Arts with distinction in French Language and Literature.