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Rear Admiral (Retired) Mark Montgomery

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Rear Admiral (Retired) Mark Montgomery

Lessons from Ukraine and Applications for Taiwan

DATE: June 10, 2026 6:00 pm

LOCATION: St. Mary's Seminary & University and Zoom

The conflict in Ukraine has generated much discussion on what the future for Taiwan may be. Will China feel emboldened by the war, and expect a similar response if they invade Taiwan? Does the protracted nature of the Russia-Ukraine conflict make China more cautious? How can Taiwan learn from Ukraine and best prepare to defend its democracy? BCFA’s next speaker, Rear Admiral (Retired) Mark Montgomery will address these questions as he discusses key analysis from Ukraine and how it applies to Taiwan.

Mark Montgomery is the Senior Director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI), as well as a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). At CCTI, Mark develops policies to secure our national critical infrastructures in cyberspace. At FDD, he works with beleaguered democracies such as Taiwan, Ukraine, South Korea and Israel.

Previously Mark served as Executive Director of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission and Policy Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee under Senator John McCain. Mark served for 32 years as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a Rear Admiral. His flag assignments included Director of Operations at U.S. Pacific Command; Commander of Carrier Strike Group 5; and Deputy Director, Plans, Policy and Strategy at U.S. European Command. Mark is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Oxford University.

Mark spends two weeks each calendar quarter in Ukraine advising government and military officials. Those two weeks are followed by two weeks in Taiwan advising Taiwanese government and military officials. Mark will share with the Council his take-aways from his many visits to Ukraine and Taiwan; many of these take-aways can also be applied to the U.S.

Join us June 10th for what is sure to be a riveting and insightful discussion on the future of two important democracies.

Contact programs@bcfausa.org for more information or to register for this event. Attendance is free for BCFA members. Tickets are $10 for the guest of a member, $25 for non-members, and $10 for students. 

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Forced displacement represents one of the most pressing humanitarian issues of our time. Individuals and families, torn from the fabric of their communities, find themselves navigating a world of uncertainty, often without basic necessities or a clear path to safety. There are currently some 110 million forced displaced, and this number is growing by 10 million each year!

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