They Lied to You! Defense & Security Works Best Without NATO.
Larry Johnson, Steve Jermy, Sakari Linden, and Levan Nikoleishvili explain why NATO is a bad idea for those who find themselves in between the great powers. They explore Finland’s NATO experience, Georgia’s constitutional commitments, armed neutrality and national resilience. A recorded contribution from Ristian Atriandi Supriyanto brings lessons from Indonesia and Southeast Asia. Recorded at the Tbilisi Forum on Neutrality on November 5, 2026, the discussion connects strategic independence with practical policy choices. Panel Links: Tbilisi Forum on Neutrality — programme and speakers: https://tfn.ge Neutrality Studies Links: Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Time Stamps 00:00 Introductions: Alliances and Georgia’s strategic choices 05:44 Steve Jermy: Energy security in a multipolar world 12:51 Larry Johnson: Financial independence and BRICS 20:07 Sakari Linden: Finland’s NATO experience 27:37 Georgia’s NATO aspirations and Article 78 35:04 Can neutrality protect a small state? 48:33 Armed neutrality, national resilience and e