Episode 157 – Deterrence Is in the Eye of the Beholder — The Emergence of Defense Finance

Defense finance is rapidly moving from a niche policy topic to a central challenge for governments, investors, and financial institutions. In this episode of Current Account, Clay is joined by Wendy Gilmour, Vice Chair of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute and former NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, and Jakub Karnowski, CEO of KredoBank, to explore how countries are financing a new era of defense and security investment.

They discuss the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, growing NATO spending commitments, and the role private capital can play in expanding defense capabilities, industrial capacity, and critical infrastructure. The conversation also examines what makes defense investments bankable and what a successful partnership between governments, industry, and financial markets could look like in the years ahead.

This IIF Podcast was hosted by Clay Lowery, Executive Vice President, Research and Policy, with production and research contributions from Christian Klein, Digital Graphics and Production Associate and Miranda Silverman, Senior Program Assistant.