Panel

Film screening: ‘Facing War’

Join us at Chatham House for this screening documenting the final year in office of former NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg – who headed the organisation from 2014 to 2024 – as he dealt with Russia’s full‑scale invasion of Ukraine.

Event date and time: 28 April 2026 — 17:00 TO 18:30 BST

Event location: In person — Chatham House

Facing War offers an unprecedented, inside look at the fraught closing months of the Norwegian diplomat’s tenure, at a time when the crisis had pushed the alliance to its most serious test since the Second World War. Filmed with rare access to NATO’s inner decision‑making spaces, the documentary immerses viewers in the high‑stakes diplomacy shaping Europe’s security as the alliance sought to balance promises of support to Ukraine with concerns about triggering an escalation of the conflict.

It shows tense negotiations with world leaders including US President Joe Biden, who had persuaded Stoltenberg to stay on for one more year to deal with the crisis; President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán. The film captures urgent discussions over how to support Ukraine and a year defined by fragile unity and geopolitical friction at a time when the crisis had pushed the alliance to its most serious test since the Second World War.

Filmed with rare access to NATO’s inner decision‑making spaces, the documentary immerses viewers in the high‑stakes diplomacy shaping Europe’s security as the alliance sought to balance promises of support to Ukraine with concerns about triggering an escalation of the conflict.

It shows tense negotiations with world leaders including US President Joe Biden, who had persuaded Stoltenberg to stay on for one more year to deal with the crisis; President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan; and Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán. The film captures urgent discussions over how to support Ukraine and a year defined by fragile unity and geopolitical friction.

This film was originally scheduled for the 23rd April.

Event format and who can attend

Panel sessions bring together several renowned speakers with different perspectives on an issue, offering the audience a thought-provoking discussion that thoroughly analyses a topic from many angles. They are held in our Joseph Gaggero Hall and on the record. 

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