Hybrid threats have become the 21st security challenge for Western countries. They reflect significant change in the nature of international security. Change tends to increase feelings of insecurity and, historically, frictions in society, all the more so because hybrid threats are complex and ambiguous. Some people look to the past for answers, while others have forgotten the past. There are those who argue more vigorously for adapting to change, and there are those who try to defend the status quo. In some cases facts turn into views, opinions and perspectives – or worse, vice versa. This means that the picture of the security environment is not simply black or white. It is complex, multi-layeredand multidimensional. Thus, analysis of what has changed, how it is changed and what does it mean for democratic states is at the core of understanding the nature of the current security environment in Europe.
This report gives us a rich understanding of what we mean when we talk about hybrid threats drawing upon two case studies: Russia’s interventions in Crimea and Ukraine and in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. It also addresses whatkind of threats we are facing and what tools are being used against the democratic states.