Abstract: The illicit international trade in weapons is a real challenge to U.S. national security interests.  Fear of the proliferation of advanced conventional weapons from Eastern Europe has complicated efforts by the United States and its allies to support Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s invasion. Rampant disinformation regarding this trafficking has hampered politicians and decisionmakers from Washington to Warsaw. In response, U.S. officials coordinated internal U.S. government activities and worked with partners across Europe to develop tools and provide Ukraine with joint training to mitigate the very real risks of the weapons and to counter propaganda. F. David Diaz, our speaker, was the U.S. official who spearheaded these efforts.  Diaz, a former Marine and veteran of the State Department, Pentagon, and National Security Council, will recount U.S actions to overcome this challenge, assess long-term implications, and how we can protect U.S. interests.  

Diaz is a national security strategist and senior advisor who develops and implements innovative solutions across governments, international organizations, and corporations. He brings 33 years of experience leading people and solving problems in the Marine Corps, the Pentagon, the Department of State, and the White House. He has led on-the-ground initiatives in Libya and Afghanistan, negotiated agreements, and established new programs from Central America to Southeast Asia.

Diaz concluded his government service in 2025 at the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, serving as director of an interagency task force countering illicit proliferation of advanced weapons and as a strategy advisor. He served as director for Africa on the staff of the National Security Council at the White House, where he coordinated national security policies and strategies for diplomatic engagement, military operations, and economic trade with the countries of the Sahel, which is the geographic swath across Africa’s midsection, and coastal West Africa. Before the NSC, he led strategy and policy in the Global Integration Directorate for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, he is also an adjunct assistant professor of national security policy at Georgetown University. He holds master’s degrees in international relations from Boston University and national security strategy from the National War College. Originally from Chicago, he and his wife live in Fairfax County, Virginia. 

Event Details:

• What: Savannah Council on World Affairs Speaker Event
• Who: F. David Diaz
• When: Thursday, November 20, 2025; 7-9 p.m.