Brussels Sprouts

What Trump Means for Europe with the Eurofile Podcast Nov 15, 2024

For this special edition episode of Brussels Sprouts, Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend join forces with The Eurofile from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) to reflect on the outcome of the recent United States presidential election with Max Bergmann and Donatienne Ruy. Listen in as they discuss what a second Trump term may mean for Europe, Ukraine, and United States relations with Russia.

 Max Bergmann is the director of the Stuart Center and the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at CSIS. 

Donatienne Ruy is the director of the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy and a Fellow with the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program at CSIS.  

More information on The Eurofile and the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program can be found here.

The Future of Russia and China in Central Asia Nov 13, 2024

Despite the many proclamations that Russian and Chinese interests would collide in Central Asia, Moscow and Beijing continue to work together in service of their shared objectives. A new report from CNAS analyzes how the relationship is shaping the region.

Read it here: Russia and China in Central Asia: Cooperate, Compete, or De-conflict?

Most importantly, Russia and China seek to keep the United States, the West, and democracy out of the region, maintain stability, and pursue economic benefits. Though fissures exist, thus far the two countries have kept tensions from derailing the broader Russia-China relationship in Central Asia. To discuss these issues and more, Reid Standish and Alex Cooley join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Reid Standish is an Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondent in Prague and author of the China In Eurasia briefing.  

Alex Cooley is the Claire Tow Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University and an Academy Adjunct Faculty member at Chatham House. 

Developing the European Defense Industry Nov 01, 2024

Since the war in Ukraine began, the European Union has provided substantial military support to Kyiv. Yet years of underinvestment and a lack of coordination mean that Europe’s defense industrial base has struggled to keep up with demand. While there is a renewed sense of urgency to tackle this issue, in September, NATO’s outgoing secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg warned against EU defense efforts duplicating or competing with NATO, given scarce funding and personnel. What is the role of the EU when it comes to defense issues? Does the EU have a role in supporting the development of the defense industrial base? And how can EU and NATO efforts to support Ukraine be mutually supporting rather than cut across each other? To discuss these questions and more, Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss and Max Bergmann join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on Brussels Sprouts.  

Dr Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss is the Managing Director for Peace, Security and Defence at the European External Action Service. 

Max Bergmann is the director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). 

Russia and the Rise of BRICS Oct 25, 2024

This past Tuesday, Russia hosted a high-profile summit of the BRICS group in Kazan, Russia, demonstrating its growing determination to challenge the Western-led international order. As the group has expanded its membership during the past year, it has grown to encompass nearly half of the world’s population, lending it greater credibility as a platform for reflecting an increasingly multipolar world. Yet despite this expansion, the BRICS group continues to face internal divisions. Looking ahead, how should we interpret the evolving role of the BRICS, and what does this evolution mean for policymakers in the United States and Europe? To unpack all of this and more, Alexander Gabuev joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Kate Johnston on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.   

Alexander Gabuev is the Director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.  His research is focused on Russian foreign policy with particular focus on the impact of the war in Ukraine and the Sino-Russia relationship. 

What Might We Expect in Foreign Policy During a Second Trump Term? Oct 18, 2024

As the 2024 presidential elections draw nearer, it’s becoming increasingly urgent to understand the potential implications for U.S. foreign policy. This week, Brussels Sprouts continues its two-part series focusing on the election by shifting focus to the foreign policy that could emerge under a Trump-Vance administration. To discuss all of this, Michael Allen and James Carafano join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Kate Johnston on this week’s episode.

Michael Allen is a managing director at Beacon Global Strategies, where he specializes in national security and foreign policy.

James Carafano is Senior Counselor to the President and E.W. Richardson Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, where he works on national security and foreign policy challenges.

Brussels Sprouts Live: NATO in the American Heartland Oct 17, 2024

NATO marked its 75th anniversary this year – a testament to the strength and continued relevance of the alliance. Celebrations have been muted however, due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and increasing concerns from Europe about US commitments to transatlantic security. The role of NATO is as crucial now as it was 75 years ago but the security threats the alliance faces are evolving, and growing in complexity.  

To discuss these issues Ambassador Anniken Huitfeldt, Mark Newton, Maria Markowska, and John Deni joined Rebecca Moore for a live episode of Brussels Sprouts at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Ambassador Anniken Huitfeldt is the Norwegian Ambassador to the USA and was previously the Norwegian Foreign Minister from 2021 to 2023.

Mark Newton is Minister Defence (Director USA) at the British Embassy in Washington DC.

Maria Markowska is the First Counselor and Head of the Political Section at the Polish Embassy in Washington DC.

Dr John Deni is a Research Professor of Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational (JIIM) Security Studies at the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute

Dr Rebecca Moore is a professor of Political Science at Concordia College.

Russia in the Middle East with Jonathan Lord and Hanna Notte Oct 10, 2024

One year after the October 7 attacks by Hamas, the crisis in the Middle East has grown more and more complex. With the region teetering on the brink of broader conflict, the Biden administration is facing increasing pressure to mediate and prevent an all-out war. Meanwhile, regional dynamics are becoming more intertwined with broader geopolitics, as highlighted by Israel’s recent strike near a Russian air base in Syria. The nexus between the war in Ukraine and the Middle East crisis has also raised alarms about shifts in global alliances and resources, including concerns that Moscow may be assisting Tehran’s nuclear program amidst their deepening ties. To discuss these pressing developments and what they mean for the future of the region, Jonathan Lord and Hanna Notte join Andrea Kendall-Taylor on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Jonathan Lord is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Security Program at the Center for a New American Security.

Hanna Notte is the director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and a Senior Associate in the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies.

BONUS: Europe’s Take on Economic Security with EU Ambassador to the U.S. Jovita Neliupšienė Oct 09, 2024

On this special episode of Derisky Business, CNAS's economic security podcast, Ambassador Jovita Neliupšienė, the European Union's Ambassador to the United States, joins Emily Kilcrease and Geoffrey Gertz for a wide-ranging conversation on Europe's growing role as a economic statecraft power, the importance of the transatlantic alliance in addressing the strategic challenges posed by Russia and China, and why all Americans should drink champagne

Ambassador Neliupšienė recommends listeners tune in to the Trade-Off podcast about the people, politics, and power inside Europe’s trade policy, Trade-Off Podcast.

Further Reading:

EU Competitiveness: Looking Ahead (The Draghi Report)

Containing Crisis: Strategic Concepts for Coercive Economic Statecraft from CNAS

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Exploiting Russian Weakness: Moldova and Georgia at a Crossroads Oct 04, 2024

Later this month, both Moldova and Georgia will hold crucial elections with the potential to profoundly shape their futures. As Russia attempts to reassert dominance along its periphery amid its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin’s actions have triggered different geopolitical reorientations in different countries across the region. Moldova and Georgia illustrate this two-directional trend—while the Georgian government has signaled more alignment with Russia, Moldova is strengthening its ties with the West. However, these shifts may not be final, and the elections this October could either cement or reverse their current trajectories. Given these stakes, Russia has already taken steps to interfere in these elections, and could employ additional coercive tactics threatening stability along NATO’s eastern border in the future. Yet this moment also presents an opportunity for the United States and European Union— while the war in Ukraine continues, the transatlantic partners can take advantage of Russia’s present weakness to rid the region of corrosive Russian influence and more firmly anchor Moldova and Georgia in the good governance, democracy, and economic prosperity that are cornerstones of the Euro- Atlantic space. Laura Thornton is the senior director of global democracy programs at the McCain Institute. Prior to this, she served as senior vice president of democracy at the German Marshal Fund (GMF), and oversaw GMF’s transatlantic trusts. Denis Cenusa is the European Integration Program Director at the Moldovan think tank, Expert-Grup and a lecturer at the University of Giessen. Read the new report! Exploiting Russian Weakness: Leaning in to Support the Pro-Western Orientation of Moldova and Georgia

What Can We Expect from a Harris-Walz Foreign Policy? Sep 30, 2024

As the 2024 presidential elections approach, there is increasing speculation about the potential implications for U.S foreign policy. Today on Brussels Sprouts, we will have the first discussion in a two-part series on this topic, focusing first on what we might expect from a Harris-Walz administration. In many respects, Kamala Harris’s foreign policy platform largely signals continuity from the Biden administration, including strong support for Ukraine in its war against Russia and focus on the long-term geopolitical rivalry with China. Nevertheless, there may be some areas where Harris differs significantly from Biden, such as by recalibrating the U.S. position on the Israel-Hamas war. To decipher what a Harris doctrine in foreign policy might look like, we’re very pleased to have Amy Mackinnon and Joshua Keating on the podcast today.

Amy Mackinnon is a national security and intelligence reporter at Foreign Policy.

Joshua Keating is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he focuses on world news and foreign policy.

The Origins of Elected Strongmen: How Personalist Parties Destroy Democracy from Within Sep 20, 2024

This week, CNAS hosted the book launch for The Origins of Elected Strongmen: How Personalist Parties Destroy Democracy from Within, a new book by Dr. Joseph Wright, Dr. Erica Frantz, and Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor. Moderated by Susan Glasser, this event discusses how democracies around the world are being weakened by the actions and efforts of their elected leaders, and how the rise of personalism in democratic politics has become the key culprit for democracy’s ills. Even in democratic systems, leaders are taking on outsized influence relative to the parties that support them to dismantle institutional checks on the executive, deepen political polarization, and weaken supporters’ commitment to democratic norms of behavior leading to democratic backsliding and collapse.

Susan Glasser is a Staff Writer at The New Yorker, where she writes a weekly column on life in Washington, D.C. Prior to this, she served as the founding editor of POLITICO Magazine, the editor of POLITICO, and the editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy.

Erica Frantz is an Associate Professor in Political Science at Michigan State University, where she focuses on authoritarian politics and the security and policy implications of autocratic rule.

Joseph Wright is a Professor of Political Science at Pennsylvania State University. There, he examines how international factors influence autocratic rule and democratization.

Splitting the Atom on U.S. Nuclear Strategy Sep 13, 2024

Earlier this year, the Biden administration revised its nuclear strategy, the nuclear employment guidance, which is updated approximately every four years. This time, however, the administration seems to have made some significant changes, placing greater emphasis on China given its growing nuclear capabilities, as well as directing the United States military to prepare for coordinated nuclear confrontations with Russia, China, and North Korea. To help us understand the significance of these reported changes, James Acton and Jon Wolfsthal join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

James Acton holds the Jessica T. Matthews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Jon Wolfsthal is the Director of Global Risk at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) and an Adjunct Fellow with us at CNAS.

Germany's Historic Elections and What Comes Next Sep 06, 2024

Germany is currently at a critical juncture, balancing numerous challenges both at home and abroad. Just last weekend, populist parties including the far-right AfD scored substantial gains in two state elections in eastern Germany. Two major factors behind these results are the political salience of migration in the national debate, and discussions surrounding Germany’s support for Ukraine. While Berlin has reaffirmed its backing for Kyiv following its recent offensive in Russia’s Kursk region, long-term prospects for German support remain unclear. Simultaneously, the country is struggling with the issue of significant support for Russia-friendly political parties, and infighting among those in the governing coalition. To unpack all of these ongoing developments in German affairs, Daniela Schwarzer and Christopher Schuetze join Jim Townsend and Andrea Kendall-Taylor on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Daniela Schwarzer is a member of the executive board of the Bertelsmann Foundation, where she oversees work on Europe in the world and democracy and societal cohesion. Prior to this, she served as the Executive Director of the Open Society Foundations in Europe and Central Asia and the Director and CEO of the German Council on Foreign Relations. She is also an honorary professor at Freie Universität Berlin.

Christopher Schuetze is a reporter for the New York Times based in Berlin. There, he covers politics, society, and culture in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, along with the rise of populism and the far right in Germany.

Assessing the Kursk offensive with Mike Kofman Aug 16, 2024

The Russia-Ukraine war has recently entered a new phase with the Ukrainian military’s offensive in Kursk, marking one of the most significant battlefield developments in more than a year. Pushing steadily into Russia, the Ukrainian armed forces have reportedly seized more than 1,000 square kilometers of territory, capturing critical infrastructure and leading thousands of civilians to flee their homes. While this offensive seems to be placing new pressure on Moscow’s resources that could potentially even have repercussions for Russian political stability, there are nonetheless major questions about Ukraine’s ability to hold this territory as well as the implications for other areas of the battlefront. To help us understand the motivations for this bold move by Ukraine and what it could mean for the future of the conflict, Mike Kofman joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Mike Kofman is a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on the Russian military and Eurasian security issues.

Brussels Sprouts from the NATO Public Forum on NATO's Ability to Fight Russia and the Importance of the European Pillar Aug 14, 2024

As you might now from our last episode, At the NATO Public Forum in July, Brussels Sprouts roamed the halls of the Marriot Marquis hotel in DC interviewing Public Forum guests and attendees on the key issues that were being discussed both at the Forum, and next door at the historic 75th anniversary NATO Summit.

In our last episode we heard about the mood of the Summit, it’s successes and those areas where it fell short, and about the unsung deliverables-or important outcomes that didn’t get the attention they deserved.

In this episode we’ll hear from conference participants about the alliance’s readiness for a conflict with Russia and on the need to strengthen the European pillar within NATO.

Tune in for:

Steve Flanagan, adjunct senior fellow at the RAND Corporation

Damon Wilson, president and CEO of the National Endowment for Democracy

Beth Sanner, a resident distinguished fellow at GMF

Camille Grand, Distinguished Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Cautious Optimism in Washington: Brussels Sprouts and Friends from the Halls of the NATO Public Forum Aug 09, 2024

This week we’re bringing you something a little different. At the NATO Public Forum in July, Brussels Sprouts roamed the halls of the Marriot Marquis hotel in DC interviewing Public Forum guests and attendees on the key issues that were being discussed both at the Forum, and next door at the historic 75th anniversary NATO Summit.

In this episode we’ve pulled together some of the snippets of these interviews, focused particularly on the overall mood of the Summit. We discuss what people think the successes of the Summit are and where it fell short of expectations, and ask them to share their thoughts about key issues the Summit failed to address. We’ll be discussing the current situation in Ukraine, what a bridge to membership for Ukraine might look like, reflections on past NATO enlargement, the role of NATO in supporting freedom and democracy, the European industrial defense base, burden sharing, NATO partnerships and much more.

In this episode, you will hear from:

Damon Wilson, president and CEO of the National Endowment for Democracy

Max Bergman, director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Luke Coffey, senior fellow at Hudson Institute

Steve Flanagan, adjunct senior fellow at the RAND Corporation

Liana Fix, fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Sophia Besch, senior fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Matt Kroenig, vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Dan Fried, former U.S. ambassador to Poland

and Mark Newton and Joanne Hamer from the UK Ministry of Defence.

A Night of NATO at the National Archives Jul 26, 2024

Just a few weeks ago, leaders from across the globe gathered in Washington, D.C. for the historic 75th NATO summit. Over the course of the three-day event, allies engaged in discussions surrounding support for Ukraine, strengthening their defense and deterrence capabilities, and deepening NATO partnerships. On this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts, join us in listening to an edited event hosted on the margins of the NATO Washington Summit by the Center for a New American Security and the Truman Library Institute held at the National Archives Museum. This episode features remarks from Clifton Truman Daniel, along with a discussion of the past, present, and future of the NATO alliance with Mary Sarotte, Stephen Wertheim, and Adam Howard moderated by Steven Erlanger.

Clifton Truman Daniel is the honorary chairman of the board of the Truman Library Institute and board secretary of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation.

Steven Erlanger is the Chief Diplomatic Correspondent for The New York Times covering Europe. Most recently, his focus has been on NATO, United States foreign policy, Russia, and the war in Ukraine.

Mary Sarotte is the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Distinguished Professor of Historical Studies at the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Her book, Not One Inch (2021), analyzes how the tensions between the United States, NATO, and Russia have transformed geopolitics.

Stephen Wertheim is a Senior Fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is a historian of U.S. foreign policy and analyzes contemporary problems in American strategy and diplomacy.

Adam Howard is the Historian for the United States Department of State and the Director of the Department’s Office of the Historian.

75 Years of NATO: Key Takeaways from the Washington Summit Jul 19, 2024

Last week, Washington, DC hosted the NATO summit – marking the historic 75th anniversary of the alliance. Despite the significant milestone, the mood was serious in DC with the war continuing to rage in Ukraine and increasing concern from European allies about the reliability of the United States as a partner in the long term. Though Ukraine emerged as the focus of many discussions, allies also strengthened language on China, emphasizing the challenges that Beijing poses to Euro-Atlantic security. Moreover, Iran and North Korea were also called out for their direct military support to Moscow. To unpack the discussions of the last week, and the challenges faced by NATO today, David Quarrey and Axel Wernhoff join Kate Johnston and Jim Townsend on the podcast today.

David Quarrey is the Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to NATO. Previously, he served as the Prime Minister’s adviser on International Affairs and Deputy National Security Advisor from 2019-2022, and the British Ambassador to Israel from 2015-2019.  

Axel Wernhoff is the Permanent Representative of Sweden to NATO. Prior to this, he served as the Ambassador of Sweden to Norway.

Kurt Volker and Douglas Lute Discuss the Upcoming NATO Washington Summit Jul 05, 2024

From July 9th to 11th, NATO will hold its historic 75th-anniversary summit in Washington, DC. On the sidelines, CNAS and other think tanks will host the NATO Public Forum. Though the summit will in part be a celebration of the alliance’s enduring success, it also comes at a time when NATO is grappling with numerous challenges. The most pressing issue is of course Ukraine, as NATO members will need to continue to work together to provide Kyiv with support in its efforts to fight off Russia’s invasion. Beyond Ukraine, NATO must navigate the ongoing modernization of its defense and deterrence plans, the increasing risk of hybrid attacks from Russia, the transition to a new Secretary General, and much more. To offer a preview of the Summit and what we should expect, Douglas Lute and Kurt Volker join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.  

Douglas Lute served six years in the White House during two administrations as well as in the role of U.S. Ambassador to NATO during the second Obama-Biden term.  

Kurt Volker previously served as U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations from 2017 to 2019 and as U.S. Ambassador to NATO from 2008-2009. 

A Discussion of European Leadership Jun 28, 2024

Leadership dynamics in Europe are at a critical juncture. Following the recent European Parliament elections, both French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have seen their influence wane, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk have emerged stronger. At the same time, a new set of leaders is to set take the reins of the top jobs at the EU institutions in Brussels, adding to the current upheaval. Outside the European Union, the United Kingdom faces the prospect of a change to a Labour government following its upcoming elections, which could significantly reshape its role on the continent. Finally, the uncertainty surrounding U.S. leadership following this November’s election is creating doubts about the future of leadership in the transatlantic alliance more broadly. To explore these various developments and their implications, Sophie Pedder and Steven Erlanger join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Sophie Pedder is the Paris Bureau Chief for The Economist, where she writes about French politics and economics.

Steven Erlanger is the Chief Diplomatic Correspondent in Europe for The New York Times, with extensive experience in covering transatlantic relations and European affairs from various posts across the globe.

Resuscitating Europe's Defense Industry Jun 21, 2024

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the attempt of transatlantic partners to provide Kyiv with the weapons systems and ammunition it needs to keep up the fight for the long-haul has renewed focus on the importance of the defense industrial base. Particularly in Europe, the past two years have exposed numerous problems with the defense industry, including inadequate stocks and lengthy production timelines. Ukraine’s European backers have attempted to address these issues through new policies at the EU level, including common procurement and a new defense industrial strategy. However, funding shortfalls and ongoing debates about whether defense acquisitions should come from outside the European Union continue to pose obstacles. To discuss the urgency of making Europe’s defense industry fit for the demands of today’s security challenges, Sophia Besch and Christian Mölling join Nicholas Lokker and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Sophia Besch is a fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and her area of expertise is European defense policy.   

Christian Mölling is deputy director of the Research Institute at the German Council on Foreign Relations, where he also heads the Center for Security and Defense. 

Unpacking the European Parliament Elections Jun 14, 2024

Last weekend, voters across the European Union went to the polls to select the next European Parliament. In the run-up to the elections, many observers were focused on the potential for large gains by the far-right, and those projections turned out to be largely accurate, with far-right parties now occupying roughly a quarter of the seats in Parliament. The performance of the far-right was particularly striking in the two largest EU member states of Germany and France, even causing French President Emmanuel Macron to call for snap elections this summer. At the same time, centrist parties look set to continue to control the European Parliament in the years ahead, having won enough seats to form a comfortable governing majority. Finally, as we look ahead to the coming weeks, all eyes will be on the contest for the European Union’s top jobs, as national leaders haggle over the next European Commission President, European Council President, and High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy. To address all of this, Klaus Welle and Susi Dennison join Nicholas Lokker and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Klaus Welle is the former Secretary-General of the European Parliament, a role in which he served from 2009 to 2022. And Klaus now serves as the Chaiman of the Academic Council at the Martens Center.

Susi Dennison is a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Her topics of focus include strategy, politics and cohesion in European foreign policy; climate and energy, migration, and the toolkit for Europe as a global actor.

The High Stakes of European Security with Thomas Wright at the 2024 CNAS National Security Conference Jun 12, 2024

The current moment in the transatlantic relationship is one of high stakes. The United States and its European allies are continuing to grapple with numerous difficulties, including the ongoing war in Ukraine; Russia’s increasing coordination with other adversaries including China, Iran, and North Korea; and an increasing Russian effort to wage hybrid warfare on our societies. Meanwhile, NATO is rapidly approaching its 75th-anniversary summit in Washington next month, where allies will need to find consensus on the way forward in an increasingly dangerous geopolitical environment. To discuss this and more, Thomas Wright joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Thomas Wright is the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Strategic Planning with the National Security Council. Before entering government, he was a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He is also the author of All Measures Short of War: The Contest for the 21st Century and the Future of American Power, and coauthor, with Colin Kahl, of Aftershocks: Pandemic Politics and the End of the Old International Order. 

Richard Fontaine and Hal Brands Discuss the Axis of Upheaval Jun 07, 2024

The effects of Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine are reverberating far beyond Ukraine’s borders. Perhaps most fundamentally, Putin’s invasion has catalyzed deepening cooperation among Russia and its like-minded partners in China, Iran, and North Korea. Cooperation among these four countries was already expanding before 2022, but the war has accelerated the deepening of their economic, military, political, and technological ties. Although these countries may have banded together in discontent, their repeated interactions and converging views of a future order have the potential to foster deeper and more enduring partnerships. The critical questions no longer center on whether cooperation between these countries will grow, but rather on how deep and durable the cooperation will be, how it will affect U.S. and European interests, and what the West can do to shape its trajectory and ameliorate its negative effects. To discuss all of this and more, Richard Fontaine and Hal Brands join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Richard Fontaine is the Chief Executive Officer of the Center for a New American Security. Prior to coming to CNAS, he was foreign policy advisor to Senator John McCain and worked at the State Department, the National Security Council, and on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  

Hal Brands is the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute

Georgia's Democracy Crisis May 29, 2024

On 14 May Georgia’s parliament passed a controversial law that requires media and nonprofit groups to register as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they receive more than 20% of their funding from abroad. The law mirrors a similar law introduced in Russia in 2012, which has been used to crack down on NGOs and other organizations deemed critical of the Kremlin. Many in Georgia view this law as a similar attempt to restrict freedom of speech and reduce the space for civil society. In the weeks following May 14, Georgians took part in mass protests in Tbilisi, and relations between the Georgian government and the EU and US further deteriorated. Moreover, despite Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili's veto of the controversial “foreign agent” law on May 18, lawmakers overrode this decision on May 28, putting it back on the table. To help us understand what is happening in Georgia and the wider implications of recent events for Georgian democracy and their EU ambitions Giorgi Baramidze and Laura Thornton join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.  

Giorgi Baramidze is the political secretary of the United National Movement, the largest opposition party in Georgia. Previously he was the State Minister for Euro-Atlantic Integration (2004-2012), and the Minister of Defense (2004).

Laura Thornton is the senior vice president of democracy at the German Marshall Fund. She oversees the Alliance for Securing Democracy, and works with GMF’s transatlantic trusts which support civil society organizations and actors in Central and Eastern Europe, the Western Balkans and the Caucuses.

Brussels Sprouts Presents: A Discussion with the Swedish and Estonian Ministers of Defense May 24, 2024

As Russia’s war in Ukraine progresses into its third year, there are questions in some parts of the NATO alliance about how long the West can sustain its support for Kyiv and how the war will actually end. Simultaneously, China and other countries like North Korea and Iran continue to provide support to Russia, and Russia is stepping up hybrid attacks on our societies – everything from disinformation ahead of the European elections to arson, sabotage, and GPS jamming. All of this comes against the backdrop of the upcoming 75th anniversary NATO Summit in Washington, D.C., where there are still looming questions about what exactly will be delivered. To discuss how we should be thinking about and responding to these questions, Pål Jonson, Sweden’s Minister of Defense, and Hanno Pevkur, the Minister of Defense of Estonia, join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Kate Johnston live at the Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn, Estonia.

Pål Jonson has held the position of Sweden’s Minister of Defense since 2022. He previously served as Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense, and Secretary General of the Swedish Atlantic Council.

Hanno Pevkur assumed office as the minister of defense of Estonia in 2022. Prior to this, he held several positions in the government including Minister of the Interior, Minister of Justice, and Minister of Social Affairs.

The Future of Europe with Constanze Stelzenmüller and Nathalie Tocci May 17, 2024

On April 25th, French President Emmanuel Macron gave a nearly two-hour-long speech at the Sorbonne that outlined his vision for Europe. In the context of major challenges such as Russia’s war against Ukraine, intensifying economic pressures, and more, Macron warned that “Europe today is mortal” and that “it can die” if Europeans fail to take united and decisive action. This speech came at a time when Europe is gearing up for multiple major events in the coming months, including both the European Parliament elections in June and the 75th anniversary NATO summit in July. Looking ahead to these milestones, what are the most significant challenges and opportunities facing Europe in the years to come? To help us take stock of the present and anticipate the future, Constanze Stelzenmüller and Nathalie Tocci join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Constanze Stelzenmüller is the director of the Center on the United States and Europe and the inaugural holder of the Fritz Stern Chair on Germany and trans-Atlantic Relations at the Brookings Institution.

Nathalie Tocci is the director of the Italian Institute for International Affairs. In her previous capacity as Special Advisor to EU High Representatives Federica Mogherini and Josep Borrell, she wrote and worked on the implementation of the European Global Strategy.

Russian Influence on the Upcoming EU Elections May 10, 2024

While the world’s attention has been focused on Russia’s military operation in Ukraine over the past two years, Moscow has continued its attempts to use other, nonmilitary tools to pursue its aggressive foreign policy objectives. Western democracies have been an important target of Russian malign influence. Particularly as both the European Union and the United States gear up for key elections later this year, there is mounting evidence of the Kremlin’s efforts to elevate pro-Russian talking points, politicians, and political parties. What lies behind these attempts to undermine Western democracy, and how concerned should we be about Russia’s chances of success? To discuss all of this and more, David Salvo and Brady Hills Join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

David Salvo is a senior fellow and managing director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund. An expert in Russian affairs, Salvo has been analyzing the Kremlin’s authoritarian toolkit to undermine democracy at home and abroad throughout his career.

Brady Hills is a senior analysis and the Head of the Brussels Office of the International Republican Institute (IRI). As a member of IRI’s Beacon Project team, he focuses on countering hybrid threats to democracy, outreach to European policymakers, and discussing support for Ukraine, and EU and NATO enlargement.

Taking the Temperature of China’s Relationship with the United States and Europe May 03, 2024

On Sunday, May 5th, Chinese President Xi Jinping will begin his first trip to Europe in five years. On this trip, Xi will make a high-profile two-day visit to France, where he is likely to encourage President Emmanuel Macron to continue pursuing an independent path from the United States regarding relations with Beijing. Xi will also make stops in Hungary and Serbia, which have cultivated close ties with China in recent years despite calls for de-risking from U.S. and other European leaders. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently returned from a visit to China, during which he met with Xi and other senior Chinese officials amidst the context of persistent simmering tensions between Washington and Beijing. What should we make of these two international trips, and what can they tell us about the current state of the relationships between China, Europe, and the United States? To discuss all of this and more, Noah Barkin and Bonnie Glaser join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Noah Barkin is a Senior Advisor with Rhodium Group's China practice, focusing on Europe-China relations and transatlantic China policy.

Bonnie Glaser is managing director of the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific program.

The State of the War in Ukraine with Michael Kofman Apr 19, 2024

As the war in Ukraine continues into its third year, the mood has become increasingly dark. While territorial changes continue to be minor, Russia’s slow but steady advances along the front lines could become large losses for Ukraine. This is especially likely if Kyiv is unable to overcome worsening shortages of both material and personnel. As military aid continues to be stalled in Congress, the head of U.S. European Command has warned that Ukraine may be in danger of losing the war unless it soon receives additional ammunition from Washington. Amidst all this apparent doom and gloom, how concerned should we be about the trajectory of the war, and what glimmers of hope may still lie on the horizon? To discuss all of this and more, Mike Kofman joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Mike Kofman is a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on the Russian military and Eurasian security issues.

Interpreting the Recent Turkish Elections with Asli Aydintaşbaş and Steven Cook Apr 12, 2024

Just under a year ago, Turkish President Erdogan won another five years in power in the Turkish presidential election. Last week, however, local election results in Turkey delivered a harsh blow to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Although the gap at the national level wasn’t huge, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) won about 38 percent of the vote and Erdogan’s AKP garnered approximately 35 percent, in major Turkish cities such as Istanbul and Ankara the gulf was significant. Following disappointing results for the CHP during last year’s general election, this significant defeat, the largest since the AKP's founding in 2001, proved a surprise. To discuss how we should interpret these election results and their implications for Turkish democracy, Asli Aydintaşbaş and Steven Cook join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Steven A. Cook is the Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies and Director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is the author of numerous books, including his most recent work, The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East, which is set to be released on June 3, 2024.

Asli Aydintaşbaş is a visiting fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings, as well as a former Global Opinions columnist at The Washington Post and a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).

Macron’s Change in Tune and the War in Ukraine Apr 05, 2024

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there has been a notable evolution in France’s approach toward Moscow. In the initial months following the invasion, French President Emmanuel Macron continued to engage diplomatically with Vladimir Putin, controversially insisting that the West must not humiliate Moscow, prompting harsh criticism from France’s NATO allies. After apologizing last year for France’s previous failure to listen to the warning of its Central and Eastern European allies about Russian intentions, however, the French President notably pushed last month for greater Western strategic ambiguity regarding the war, stating that he had not ruled out the possibility of sending French troops to Ukraine. This once again prompted an outcry from NATO allies wary of escalation, such as Germany and the United States. To discuss how to interpret this apparent shift in French thinking and its possible implications going forward, Tara Varma and Bruno Tertrais join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on Brussels Sprouts.

Tara Varma is a visiting fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution.

Bruno Tertrais is the Deputy Director of the Foundation for Strategic Research, a leading French think-tank on international security issues. 

Putin’s Fifth Term and Russian Domestic Politics Mar 22, 2024

This past weekend, Russians went to the polls for the country’s presidential election. To the surprise of no one, Vladimir Putin emerged victorious with a record-high 87 percent of the vote—or so the Kremlin claims. In the wake of the death of Alexey Navalny and Putin’s bans on attempts of alternative candidates, such as Boris Nadezhdin, to compete in the elections, political opposition was limited to an informal agreement among thousands of voters to go to the polls at noon to express their discontent. Yet regardless of the fraudulent nature of the election, Putin is likely to take this result as evidence of a popular mandate to continue his policies of aggression abroad and repression at home. As we look ahead to Putin’s fifth term in office, how should we expect Russian domestic politics and foreign policy to evolve in the years to come? To discuss all this and more, Angela Stent and Joshua Yaffa join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Angela Stent is senior adviser to the Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies and professor emerita of government and foreign service at Georgetown University. She is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and co-chairs its Hewett Forum on Post- Soviet Affairs. Stent is additionally the author of Putin’s World: Russia Against the West and With the Rest (2019).

Joshua Yaffa is a contributing writer for The New Yorker. He is also the author of Between Two Fires: Truth, Ambition, and Compromise in Putin’s Russia, published in January 2020 by Tim Duggan Books, which won the Orwell Prize in 2021.

Franco-German Tensions and the War in Ukraine Mar 08, 2024

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macon made waves when he said that he had not ruled out sending ground troops to fight in Ukraine. This statement prompted a strong reaction from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and for many of France’s NATO allies to distance themselves from Macron’s statement and potential escalation. One of the most notable instances of this came from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who asserted that soldiers from NATO countries should not “actively participate in war events.” This latest Franco-German spat fits within a larger trend of disagreements between Paris and Berlin and comes at a time when unified European leadership is desperately needed to aid Kyiv. To discuss the implications of these recent events for the future of Western support to Ukraine, Camille Grand and Claudia Major join Andrea Kendall- Taylor and Jim Townsend on Brussels Sprouts.

Camille Grand is a Distinguished Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He leads the organization’s work on defense and disruptive technologies in European security.

Claudia Major is head of the International Security Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. Her research focuses on European and transatlantic security and defense policy.

German Politics and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) Party Mar 01, 2024

Throughout January, Germany witnessed weeks of mass protests against the far-right in numerous towns and cities across the country. The immediate impetus for these demonstrations was the revelation that leaders of the Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, had met with neo-Nazis to discuss potential large-scale deportations of certain segments of the country’s population. While the scale of participation in these protests demonstrates backlash among many Germans against the far-right’s xenophobic ideology, the AfD nonetheless retains significant popularity, particularly in eastern Germany. As the country looks ahead to various regional elections this fall that could see the AfD come to power, as well as to national elections in 2025, how significant of a threat does the far-right represent? To discuss the implications of the increasing mainstreaming of the far-right both in Germany and in Europe more broadly, Liana Fix and Erika Solomon join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Liana Fix is a Fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Erika Solomon is the Berlin correspondent for the New York Times.

Discussing Two Years of War in Ukraine with Marie Yovanovitch and William Taylor Feb 23, 2024

February 24 marks the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Heading into the third year of war, Ukraine faces a challenging outlook. No longer are U.S. and European leaders talking about Russia’s strategic failure in its invasion. Indeed, the Kremlin appears confident that things are heading in Russia’s direction after Ukraine’s 2023 offensive and signs of U.S. reticence to sustain military support to the Ukrainian effort. Anxiety over this outlook was running high at the Munich security conference, where allies grappled with the reality of a rising threat from Russia underscored by the killing of Alexei Navalny, the disclosure of Russian plans to put a nuclear weapon in space, and the transatlantic community’s lack of preparedness to address Russia’s rising challenge. To discuss where Ukraine stands two years after Russia’s brutal invasion, two former U.S. ambassadors to Ukraine, Bill Taylor and Marie Yovanovitch, join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

William Taylor is the vice president for Europe and Russia at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Prior to this, he served as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009, and as the chargé d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Kyiv in 2019.

Marie Yovanovitch is a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a nonresident fellow at the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy of Georgetown University. She served as the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2016 to 2019, having previously held this post in the Republic of Armenia and the Kyrgyz Republic

Hal Brands on the Looming Threat of Global Conflict Feb 16, 2024

During the past two years, the world has seen the eruption of two major conflicts in two different regions. In Europe, Russia has launched a war of aggression against Ukraine in an attempt to reclaim a sphere of influence, while in the Middle East, Iran’s longstanding policy of enabling proxies including Hamas has resulted in a major war in Gaza and widespread violence throughout the region. In the meantime, tensions continue to simmer in East Asia, where China’s ambitions of primacy have stoked fears of a potential future conflict over Taiwan. While these three regional competitions may seem separate, they are in reality becoming increasingly interconnected as ties among Eurasia’s revisionist powers become stronger—a dynamic similar to that observed in the prelude to World War II. What lessons should we draw from the past as we attempt to make sense of today’s global turmoil and its implications for the future? Hal Brands joins the podcast to discuss all of this and more.

Hal Brands is the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Russia's Election and Putin's Power Feb 09, 2024

In March of 2024, Russia will hold a presidential election. While Vladimir Putin is nearly certain to win another term in office given the Kremlin’s efforts to control the outcome and repress the opposition, it is far from certain how domestic dynamics in the country more broadly will play out in the months and years to come. As we approach the two-year anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, how is the Russian public viewing the war, how is Putin exploiting the conflict domestically, and what might be the potential risks to regime stability going forward? Graeme Robertson and Sam Greene joined the podcast to discuss all of this and more.

Graeme Robertson is a Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Director of the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies.

Sam Greene is the Director for Democratic Resilience at the Center for European Policy Analysis and a Professor of Russian Politics at King's College London.

Russia, Putin, and Ukraine in 2024 with Fiona Hill Feb 02, 2024

This week’s Brussels Sprouts discusses expectations for Russia in the pivotal year ahead. As we approach the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine this February, how is the Kremlin viewing prospects for success going forward and the West’s capacity to sustain its support? Moreover, what is the potential impact of further instability in the Middle East, and how will Russia cultivate its relationships with China, Iran, and North Korea in 2024? With the upcoming elections in both Russia and the U.S., moreover, there is also much to consider regarding Putin’s domestic hold on power and the implications of American results for Russia. To address all of this and more, we’re pleased to have Fiona Hill with us on the podcast.

Fiona Hill is a senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe within the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She also holds the position of chancellor at Durham University in the United Kingdom and was recently elected to the Harvard University Board of Overseers.

A Look at 2024 with Richard Fontaine and Michèle Flournoy Jan 26, 2024

On this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts, we are setting out to identify some of the big-picture trends shaping the transatlantic relationship and international affairs more broadly. As we look ahead to 2024, what are the biggest challenges facing the United States, Europe, and the world at-large, and what opportunities do policymakers have to address these challenges? To help us get a better sense of what to expect in the year ahead, Richard Fontaine and Michèle Flournoy join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on the podcast.

Richard Fontaine is the Chief Executive Officer of the Center for a New American Security. Prior to coming to CNAS, he was foreign policy advisor to Senator John McCain and worked at the State Department, the National Security Council, and on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Michèle Flournoy is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WestExec Advisors, and former Co- Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CNAS, where she currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors. She also served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from February 2009 to February 2012.

Crisis in the Middle East with Jon Alterman Jan 19, 2024

Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas this past fall, many have feared the possibility that the fighting could metastasize into a broader regional conflict. Such fears have only grown in recent weeks, as violence has risen across the Middle East. With increasing regional turbulence, the United States and Europe will face mounting pressure to take actions geared towards restabilization, complicating their ability to devote resources to other ongoing challenges such as the war in Ukraine. To unpack recent events and their likely implications for the transatlantic partners, Jon Alterman joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Jon Alterman is a senior vice president, holds the Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and is director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The Resurgence of Europe’s Far-Right Jan 12, 2024

As we enter 2024, one of the biggest issues likely to face transatlantic partners is the rise of far-right parties in Europe, which have recently gained significant electoral support in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Sweden. After strong showings several years ago, these parties seemingly receded into the background as the leaders of more traditional parties steered Europe through major crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. As we observe the far-right become more prominent in the political mainstream, what are the reasons behind this trend, and what are its likely implications for Europe going forward? To tackle these crucial questions, Catherine Fieschi and Erik Jones join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Catherine Fieschi is a leading European political analyst and a Fellow of the Robert Schuman Centre in Florence

Erik Jones is the Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute

Michael Kofman and Shashank Joshi Analyze the Ukrainian Battlefield in 2024 Jan 05, 2024

As 2023 came to a close, many people began to characterize the war in Ukraine as a stalemate. Though it is true that very little has recently changed along the front lines and that neither side will be able to make a breakthrough, this label is misleading. Indeed, as 2024 takes hold both Moscow and Kyiv are working to rebuild their offensive capacity. Developments this year regarding both sides’ access to munitions, capacity to train fighters, and the extent of casualties in the war will be critical in shaping the conflict’s long-term trajectory. As such, 2024 is likely to be a decisive year for the war in Ukraine. To discuss where things stand and where they could go, Michael Kofman and Shashank Joshi join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Mike Kofman is a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on the Russian military and Eurasian security issues.

Shashank Joshi is the Defense Editor at The Economist and a Visiting Fellow at The Department of War Studies at King’s College London

The Future of EU Enlargement: Obstacles and Opportunities Dec 22, 2023

At last week’s European Council summit, EU heads of state and government agreed to begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova as well as to grant candidate status to Georgia. These historic decisions demonstrate the new momentum in the European Union’s enlargement process following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has forced the bloc to think more strategically about integrating its neighbors to the east. But while enlargement may be back on the political agenda, there are many obstacles in its way, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, the need for substantial political reforms in candidate countries, and the need for the European Union to reform its own institutions to be able to welcome new members. As we look towards what is sure to be a long and difficult process, what are the true prospects for enlargement’s success, and what will need to happen before a new set of member states can join the European Union? To discuss all of this and more Veronica Anghel and Engjellushe Morina join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Nick Lokker on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Veronica Anghel is a Lecturer at SAIS Europe and a Visiting Fellow in the Robert Schuman Center at the European University Institute.

Engjellushe Morina is a senior policy fellow with the Wider Europe Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Remembering a Titan: The Complex Legacy of Henry Kissinger with David Sanger and Stephen Sestanovich Dec 11, 2023

On November 29, former U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger died at the age of 100. With a long career spanning many decades as both a scholar and a statesman, Kissinger leaves behind a controversial legacy. While many have celebrated his success in resolutely pursuing U.S. global interests, others have denounced Kissinger’s apparent disregard for values such as human rights. To unpack Kissinger’s immense and complicated impact on both the United States and the world, David Sanger and Stephen Sestanovich join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

David Sanger is the White House and National Security Correspondent for The New York Times, reporting on President Biden and his administration, with a particular focus on foreign policy and its intersection with technology, politics, and superpower conflict.

Stephen Sestanovich is the George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis professor of international diplomacy at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. He is the author of Maximalist: America in the World from Truman to Obama, published by Knopf in February 2014.

Understanding the State of U.S. Support to Ukraine with Ambassador Ivo Daalder Nov 24, 2023

As winter approaches and territorial changes along the frontlines in Ukraine continue to be minimal, the realization is setting in that a long war likely lies ahead. To continue to defend itself against Russia’s aggression in the months and years to come, Kyiv will need the full support of its Western backers. Yet continued aid from the United States—Ukraine’s largest provider of weapons by far—is looking increasingly doubtful. To unpack the political reality around Ukraine support in the United States and the likely implications for Kyiv’s war effort, Ivo Daalder joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Ivo Daalder is President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. From 2009-2013, he served as the United States’ Ambassador to NATO.

How the West Can Court the Global South Nov 16, 2023

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, many observers have focused on the consolidation of Western unity in responding to Moscow’s aggression. However, attitudes toward the war differ significantly in many places outside of the United States and Europe. The apparent split between the West and the so-called “Global South” has also attracted increasing attention as non-Western countries such as China, India, and Brazil have taken on a more influential role on the world stage. What explains these differing attitudes, and how can the United States and Europe engage the rest of the world productively on key global issues in the years to come? On this episode of Brussels Sprouts Nathalie Tocci and Timothy Garton Ash join Andrea Kendall- Taylor and Jim Townsend to help us make sense of all of this and more.

Nathalie Tocci is the director of the Italian Institute of International Affairs. In her formal role as Special Advisor to EU High Representatives Federica Mogherini and Josep Borrell, she wrote the European Global Strategy and worked on its implementation.

Timothy Garton Ash is a professor of European Studies at Oxford University. He is the author of eleven books that have charted the transformation of Europe over the last half century.

Nathalie Tocci The Guardian Op-Ed Mentioned in Podcast: Nathalie Tocci, “War in Ukraine is revealing a new global order – and the ‘power south’ is the winner,” The Guardian, September 20, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/20/war-ukraine-new-global-order-power-south-india-china

For more about the report on the Global South mentioned by Timothy Garton Ash in the podcast:Timothy Garton Ash, Ivan Krastev, and Mark Leonard, Living in an à la carte world: What European policymakers should learn from global public opinion (European Council on Foreign Relations, November 2023),https://europeanmoments.com/sites/default/files/2023-11/ECFR-CITRUS-joint-report-nov2023.pdf.

Did China and Russia just sabotage critical infrastructure in the Baltic? Nov 08, 2023

During the past several weeks, a string of attacks on critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea has highlighted the challenges NATO faces in protecting itself against hybrid threats. After the discovery of damage done to a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, news soon broke that a data cable connecting Estonia and Sweden had also been damaged. While investigations point to a Chinese commercial vessel as the most likely culprit, the difficulty of attributing the incident directly to Beijing illustrates a common problem in defending against grey zone aggression more broadly. On this episode of Brussels Sprouts, Bruce Jones and Elisabeth Braw join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to help us make sense of recent incidents and what they can tell us about future threats posed by hybrid warfare.

Bruce Jones is a Senior Fellow with the Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution.

Elisabeth Braw is a Senior Associate Fellow at the European Leadership Network and a columnist with Foreign Policy. Her work focuses on deterrence against emerging forms of aggression, such as hybrid and grey zone threats.

The State of European Aid to Ukraine with Justyna Gotkowska, Liana Fix, and Tara Varma Nov 02, 2023

More than a year and a half after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, sustained Western support for Kyiv is as critical as ever. With the future trajectory of the war remaining highly uncertain, continued military aid from both the United States and Europe will be essential in enabling further Ukrainian successes on the battlefield. Yet commitment to such support is not guaranteed. In particular, recent global events have raised concerns about the degree to which European allies will continue to stand behind Kyiv. To discuss how we should be thinking about these various developments and their potential impact on the Russia-Ukraine war, Liana Fix, Tara Varma, and Justyna Gotkowska join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Liana Fix is a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a historian and political scientist, with expertise in German and European foreign and security policy, European security, transatlantic relations, Russia, and Eastern Europe.

Tara Varma is a visiting fellow in the Center for the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. She focuses on current French defense and security proposals in the European framework, as well as ongoing efforts to materialize European sovereignty in health, economics, climate, energy, and more traditional security fields.

Justyna Gotkowska is the Deputy Director of the Centre for Eastern Studies based in Warsaw, Poland. Her work focuses on security and defense issues in Northern and Central Europe, including defense policies and armed forces’ developments in Germany as well as in the Nordic and Baltic states.

Europe, Russia, and the Conflict in Gaza Oct 18, 2023

Two weekends ago, news broke that Hamas had infiltrated Israeli territory, killing hundreds of civilians while taking many others hostage. In the wake of these attacks, Western leaders offered their support to Israel, condemning the actions of the Palestinian militant organization. However, some in Europe question how far to go, taking issue with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s unqualified commitment to “Israel’s right to defend itself.” As the crisis now verges toward possible escalation, Europe must grapple with not just the consequences for the region itself but the possible ripple effects on interests farther afield. In particular, Ukraine’s ongoing struggle is likely to be top of mind, with Moscow exploiting the current conflict. To discuss all of this and more, Julien Barnes-Dacey and Hanna Notte join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Julien Barnes-Dacey is the director of the Middle East & North Africa programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He works on European policy towards the wider region, with a particular focus on Syria and regional geopolitics.

Hanna Notte is the director of the Eurasia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Her work focuses on Russian foreign policy, including Russia’s relations with the “Global South” and the Middle East in particular.

The Uncertain Future of Western Support for Ukraine Oct 14, 2023

Nearly 20 months after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, questions are beginning to mount about the future of Western aid to Kyiv. In addition to worrying signs of faltering support in Europe, perhaps the most concerning case is in the United States, where turmoil in Congress is stalling the approval of additional military assistance. Molly Reynolds and Max Bergmann join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts to discuss the implications of these recent political developments.

Molly Reynolds is a senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. She studies the U.S. Congress, with an emphasis on how congressional rules and procedure affect domestic policy outcomes.

Max Bergmann is the director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. From 2011 to 2017, he served in the U.S. Department of State in a number of different positions, including as a member of the secretary of state’s policy planning staff.

Analyzing the Polish Elections with R. Daniel Kelemen and Michal Baranowski Oct 06, 2023

On October 15, all eyes will be on Poland as the country holds critical parliamentary elections. The months leading up to this event have seen a fiercely contested campaign, with an opposition bloc, led by the centrist Civic Coalition, attempting to prevent the ruling rightwing coalition, led by the Law and Justice party, from winning a third term in office. While the outcome of the race remains highly uncertain, its potential implications are profound, with some going so far as to claim that the future of Polish democracy itself is on the line. However, the implications of the election are also likely to extend beyond Poland, affecting political dynamics within the European Union and Poland’s broader role on the international stage. On this Episode of Brussels Sprouts Dan Kelemen and Michal Baranowski join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the high stakes of next week’s outcome in Poland.

R. Daniel Kelemen is the McCourt Chair at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University. His research interests include the politics and law of the European Union, comparative politics and law, and comparative public policy.

Michal Baranowski is a managing director at the German Marshall Fund, where he provides overall strategic direction and leadership for the organization’s work in Poland, the Baltic states, and the Visegrad 4 countries

Brussels Sprouts Presents a Finnish Presidential Debate Oct 04, 2023

Heading into the January 2024 Finnish presidential elections, the spotlight remains on foreign policy, an area where the Finnish head of state wields considerable influence. At the forefront of Finland’s foreign policy, however, is Russia and the nature of Helsinki’s future relationship with its neighbor. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Helsinki broke from its decades-long policy of formal military non-alignment by applying for and receiving membership in NATO. Outgoing president Niinistö had a crucial role in executing this monumental shift, helping set Finland down a new path, but considerable questions and issues remain. On this bonus episode of Brussels Sprouts, join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend as they moderate a debate between Finland’s leading presidential candidates, Dr. Mika Aaltola, Pekka Haavisto, and Alex Stubb, on the future of Finnish foreign policy.

Dr. Mika Aaltola is running as an independent candidate in the 2024 Finnish elections. He is currently on a leave of absence from his position as the Director of the Finish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA).

Pekka Haavisto is a member of the Green Party and the Finnish Parliament. He previously served as the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2019 to 2023.

Alex Stubb is running as the National Coalition candidate in the 2024 Finnish Presidential Race. Prior to this, he served as Prime Minister, Finance Minister, Foreign Minister, and Trade and Europe Minister of Finland. Additionally, he was a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2008.

Understanding the Nagorno Karabakh Conflict with Thomas de Waal and Ambassador Phil Reeker Sep 29, 2023

On September 19, Azerbaijani forces began attacking Nagorno Karabakh, the long-disputed Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan. Within 24 hours, Azerbaijan had established full control over the territory, triggering a mass exodus of Karabakh Armenians from their homeland amid fears of ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Azerbaijani military. This latest violence in the long-running conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh raises numerous questions. How will Russia’s role and influence in the region shift amidst warming tides between Armenia and the West, and what does Baku’s relationship with Turkey mean for the conflict’s trajectory? To discuss recent developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Thomas de Waal and Ambassador Philip Reeker join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this Week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Ambassador Philip Reeker is a partner and the lead of the Europe and Eurasia Practice at the Albright Stonebridge Group. He has more than 30 years of diplomatic experience, including previous roles as Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, and as the Secretary of State’s Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations.

Thomas de Waal is a senior fellow with Carnegie Europe specializing in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus. He is the author of numerous publications about the region, including his authoritative book on the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War

The New Authoritarian Axis: Russian Relations with North Korea and Iran Sep 15, 2023

This past Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to the Russian Far East for a summit with Vladimir Putin. After more than four hours of talks, Kim vowed to provide “full and unconditional support” to Russia, a clear indication of just how closely aligned Russian and North Korean interests have become. This deepening partnership between Russia and North Korea is part of a larger trend that has seen the emergence of a broad axis of authoritarian countries bound through opposition to the United States and its allies. To assess the significance of Russia’s increasingly close relationships with Pyongyang and Tehran for U.S. national security, Hanna Notte and Markus Garlauskas join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Hanna Notte is the Director for Eurasia at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies as well as a Senior Associate in the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies.

Markus Garlauskas is the director of the Indo-Pacific Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. He previously served in the US government for nearly twenty years, including as National Intelligence Officer for North Korea.

The Future of the Ukrainian Counter Offensive with Mike Kofman and Mark Hertling Sep 08, 2023

Over the past several months, the world’s attention has been focused on the ongoing counteroffensive by the Ukrainian army. Many of Ukraine’s supporters had high hopes for this operation, with the United States and its European allies having provided unprecedented levels of military aid to Kyiv in preparation. Yet as the summer concludes without evidence of decisive territorial gains by Ukraine, perspectives on the conflict’s trajectory are becoming increasingly pessimistic. Nonetheless, some observers have pushed back against this narrative, noting Ukraine’s steady progress in the face of formidable challenges, and calling supporters to not give up hope. In this episode of Brussels Sprouts, hosts Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend are joined by Mike Kofman and Lieutenant General Mark Hertling to discuss the state of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

Mike Kofman is a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on the Russian military and Eurasian security issues.

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling is a former United States Army officer who previously served as commander of U.S. Army Europe from 2011-2012.

A Post-Prigozhin Wagner Group with Kimberly Marten and Vanda Felbab-Brown Sep 01, 2023

Last week, the world learned the shocking news that Yevgeny Prigozhin, the notorious head of Wagner private military company, died in a plane crash north of Moscow. Prigozhin’s demise came exactly two months after he launched a mutiny against Russian military leadership, which may be called the most significant and direct threat to Vladimir Putin’s regime since he came to power two decades ago. Now, it is far from certain whether Wagner can replicate its previous success without Prigozhin at the helm, and if not, whether other groups can effectively fill the vacuum. To discuss the post-Prigozhin future, Kim Marten and Vanda Felbab-Brown join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Kimberly Marten is a professor of political science at Barnard College, Columbia University. Her current research focuses on Russian foreign and security policies, NATO enlargement, and the global politics of climate change.

Vanda Felbab-Brown is a senior fellow in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She is an expert on international and internal conflicts and nontraditional security threats, including insurgency, organized crime, urban violence, and illicit economies

Germany’s Shifting China Strategy Aug 11, 2023

Last month, Germany adopted its first ever strategy on China. Looking forward, Berlin’s implementation of this strategy will impact Germany, as well as the broader cohesion of the transatlantic partnership, as issues surrounding relations with China continue to grow in importance in both Europe and the United States. To discuss key takeaways from the strategy as well as its potential implications, Janka Oertel and Andrew Small join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Janka Oertel is director of the Asia program and a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. She is the author of Ende der China-Illusion.

Andrew Small is a senior transatlantic fellow with the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific Program. He is the author of No Limits: The Inside Story of China's War with the West.

Lukashenko, Wagner, and the Future of Belarus Aug 04, 2023

Over the past month, Belarus has been increasingly in the spotlight, with the announcement of the Wagner Group’s relocation to the country following its aborted mutiny in Russia at the end of June. While it remains to be seen exactly what role Wagner forces will have in Belarus going forward, their presence is likely to have significant implications for the future of Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko’s regime and its relations with the Kremlin. This most recent development comes within a broader context of closer ties between Belarus and Russia over the past couple of years, including a renewed push for integration under the Union State framework and notable moves such as the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. At the same time, the legacy of mass protests in Belarus following stolen elections in 2020 continues to exert a powerful influence, as significant questions remain about the stability of the Lukashenko regime despite its increasingly repressive measures. To discuss all of this and more, Brian Whitmore and Ryhor Astapenia join the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Brian Whitmore is a nonresident senior fellow at The Atlantic Council in Washington D.C. as well as a Russia and Eurasia specialist and assistant professor of practice at The University of Texas at Arlington. He is also the author of The Power Vertical Blog and host of The Power Vertical Podcast, both of which focus on Russian affairs.

Ryhor Astapenia is an academy associate and director of the Belarus Initiative in the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House. He focuses on Belarusian domestic politics and foreign policy.

BONUS Foreign Policy Live: Assessing Kyiv’s Counteroffensive Jul 28, 2023

We hope you enjoy this bonus episode of Brussels Sprouts, a collaboration between Foreign Policy and the Center for a New American Security.

It’s been a mixed summer for Ukraine. Kyiv’s counteroffensive is progressing slowly, and the country was stymied in its bid to join NATO. But Russia has suffered military setbacks, and the West continues to offer Ukraine important security guarantees. Andrea Kendall-Taylor joins FP Live host Ravi Agrawal to discuss the latest in the war and assess where things might head next. Kendall-Taylor is the director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for New American Security.

Did Vilnius Deliver with Kurt Volker and Douglas Lute Jul 24, 2023

On July 11 and 12, NATO held its widely anticipated Vilnius Summit to discuss current functions of the alliance as well as the future of Ukrainian membership. Despite hope that NATO may provide a clearer path for Ukraine’s accession into NATO, the alliance reiterated its commitment to Ukrainian membership once allies agree and conditions are met, leaving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy upset. Despite a high emphasis on Russia's war in Ukraine, the Aaliance also discussed Chinese influence, defense expenditures, and cybersecurity. To discuss the key takeaways of the Vilnius Summit, Ambassador Kurt Volker and Ambassador Douglas Lute join Carisa Nietsche and Jim Townsend on the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Ambassador Douglas Lute is the former U.S. Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council. He currently serves as the chair of International and Defense Practices at BGR Group.

Ambassador Kurt Volker is the former U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine Negotiations from 2017-2019. He is also the former U.S. Ambassador to NATO from 2008-2009. He currently serves as co-chair of the BGR’s advisory board.

BONUS ‎Foreign Policy Live: The Scramble for AI Jul 19, 2023

In collaboration Foreign Policy Magazine, today we bring you a special bonus episode featuring Paul Scharre, Executive Vice President and Director of Studies here at CNAS. He joins host Ravi Agrawal and the Foreign Policy Live podcast to discuss his latest book Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, his Foreign Policy cover article, and the global state of AI.

We return with a new episode this Friday.

NATO’s Security Guarantees for Ukraine Jul 03, 2023

As NATO prepares for its annual summit in Vilnius this July, one of the biggest topics on the agenda will be how to guarantee long-term security for Ukraine. Given that membership in the alliance is unrealistic before the end of active fighting with Russia, the West will need to find an alternative arrangement that allows Ukraine to remain secure in the interim. While there is no consensus yet on what such an arrangement might look like, numerous proposals have emerged in recent months—including from both of our guests on today’s episode. To discuss their ideas for what it will take to guarantee Ukraine’s security as well as the future of Western support for Kyiv more broadly, Liana Fix and Eric Ciaramella join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Liana Fix is a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a historian and political scientist, with expertise in German and European foreign and security policy, European security, transatlantic relations, Russia, and Eastern Europe.

Eric Ciaramella is a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where his work focuses on Ukraine and Russia. Prior to joining Carnegie, Ciaramella served for twelve years in the U.S. government as an intelligence analyst and policy official.

Russia in the Wake of the Wagner Insurgency Jun 30, 2023

Last weekend, the outbreak of an insurgency against the Russian state by Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group shocked observers across the world. After accusing the Russian Ministry of Defense of having attacked Wagner troops on Friday, Prigozhin vowed to retaliate and proceeded to lead his forces into Russia, seizing the city of Rostov-on-Don and coming within 200 kilometers of Moscow. While the insurgency came to an abrupt end on Saturday with the announcement of a deal brokered by Belarusian President Aleksandr Luksahenko, its implications for the future political stability of Russia are likely to be profound. After facing the greatest threat to his rule since taking office 23 years ago, how secure is Vladimir Putin’s hold on power, and how is he likely to respond going forward? To discuss all of this and more, we’re happy to have Angela Stent with us on the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Angela Stent is a professor emerita of government and foreign service at Georgetown University as well as a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

The Precarious Nature of Putin’s Regime Jun 27, 2023

Over the weekend, infighting between Prigozhin and Shoigu led to seismic shifts in Russian domestic stability. This episode was recorded on Friday, June 23, prior to start of the Wagner Group’s insurgency within Russia. The implications of Wagner’s armed rebellion remain uncertain. This Brussels Sprouts, released in conjunction with the launch of the CNAS Russia Stability Tracker, focuses on the broader context of Russian domestic stability. As the war in Ukraine continues and elite fissures begin to emerge, Catherine Belton and Arkady Ostrovksy join the conversation to discuss Putin’s hold on power, and how we might expect Russian domestic dynamics to evolve moving forward.

Catherine Belton reports on Russia for The Washington Post. She is the author of Putin’s People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West.

Arkady Ostrovsky is the Russia and eastern Europe editor for The Economist. He is the author of The Invention of Russia: The Journey from Gorbachev’s Freedom to Putin’s War and The Invention of Russia: The Rise of Putin and the Age of Fake News.

The Battlefield Landscape in Ukraine with Mike Kofman and Konrad Muzyka Jun 23, 2023

Three weeks ago, Ukraine began its widely anticipated counteroffensive. Observers are watching for key developments on the battlefield as Ukraine attempts to regain territory, which is unfolding slower than hoped. Mike Kofman and Konrad Muzyka join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how the conflict will likely evolve and what it means for Western resolve on the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Mike Kofman is the Research Program Director in the Russia Studies Program at CNA as well as an Adjunct Senior Fellow at CNAS. His research focuses on Russia and the former Soviet Union, specializing in Russian armed forces, military thought, capabilities, and strategy.

Konrad Muzyka is the Director of Rochan Consulting and an independent defense analyst. He provides consultancy and advisory services on the Russian and Belarusian Armed Forces.

A Turn in German Security Infrastructure? Jun 16, 2023

On Wednesday, June 14th, the German government presented the country’s first ever National Security Strategy, laying out Germany’s commitment to three key pillars: active defense, resilience, and sustainability. Following Scholz’s “Zeitenwende” paradigm shift, experts wonder whether Germany is ready to assume a more prominent role in the Euro-Atlantic security architecture. In the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts, Christian Mölling and Constanze Stelzenmüller join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the future of Germany’s security landscape.

Christian Mölling is deputy director of the Research Institute and head of the Center for Security and Defense at the German Council on Foreign Relations. He is an expert on German defense policy, European security, and NATO.

Constanze Stelzenmüller is an expert on German, European, and trans-Atlantic foreign and security policy and strategy. She is the director of the Center on the United States and Europe and the inaugural holder of the Fritz Stern Chair on Germany and trans- Atlantic Relations at the Brookings Institution.

Brussels Sprouts Live with Jens Stoltenberg and Julianne Smith Jun 12, 2023

In this special episode marking the podcast’s 5-year anniversary, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend for a conversation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the ongoing response to the war from NATO allies, lessons learned from the conflict, and the future of the alliance.

Jens Stoltenberg became NATO Secretary General in October 2014, following a distinguished international and domestic career. As a former Prime Minister of Norway and UN Special Envoy, Mr. Stoltenberg has been a strong supporter of greater global and transatlantic cooperation. Mr. Stoltenberg’s mandate as NATO Secretary General has been extended until the end of September 2023.

Ambassador Julianne Smith assumed her position as the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO in November 2021. Prior to her current position, she served as a Senior Advisor to Secretary Blinken at the Department of State. Previously, she served as the Director of the Asia and Geopolitics Programs at the German Marshall Fund of the United States

Did the TTC Deliver with Fran Burwell and Tyson Barker Jun 09, 2023

On May 30-31, the fourth ministerial meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council was held in Luleå, Sweden. All eyes were on this meeting, after previous ministerials failed to produce concrete results due to fissures in transatlantic industrial policy. Items on the agenda for Luleå included artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and new initiatives for green transitions. To discuss the key takeaways from this latest TTC meeting, Fran Burwell and Tyson Barker join Carisa Nietsche and Jim Townsend in the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Frances G. Burwell is a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and a senior director at McLarty Associates.

Tyson Barker is a senior advisor for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. He previously served as the head of the Technology and Global Affairs program at the German Council on Foreign Relations

The Trajectory of the War in Ukraine May 26, 2023

The trajectory of the war in Ukraine hinges on the outcome of the widely anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. Recent events spell trouble for Russia as Pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters launched attacks on Russian soil in Belgorod this week and the United States promised to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. With battlefield developments shifting daily, the future of the war in Ukraine remains uncertain. To discuss how all of this impacts the Ukrainian war effort, we are pleased to welcome Gustav Gressel to the podcast.

Gustav Gressel is a senior policy fellow with the Wider Europe Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. His topics of focus include Russia, Eastern Europe, and defense policy.

What Does the Future Hold for Turkey? May 22, 2023

Turkey’s presidential election is headed to a second round after no candidate won an outright majority on May 14. Ahead of the rematch between current President Erdoğan and opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on May 28, many observers are wondering what the results could mean for the future of Turkish democracy, society, and foreign policy. Steven Cook and Aslı Aydıntaşbaş join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts to discuss the implications of the Turkish presidential race.

Steven Cook is the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Aslı Aydıntaşbaş is a visiting fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution, as well as a Global Opinions columnist at The Washington Post and a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

The Road to Vilnius with Alexander Vershbow and Ian Brzezinski May 12, 2023

In July, NATO will host its annual summit in Vilnius to discuss the path forward for the European security architecture. NATO Allies have provided critical support to Kyiv ahead of its much-anticipated counteroffensive. However, there are increased calls for more decisive action by NATO. Alexander Vershbow and Ian Brzezinski join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss their latest Atlantic Council memo laying out new recommendations for NATO’s defense and deterrence posture. Alexander Vershbow is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and Eurasia Center. He previously served as the deputy secretary general of NATO, U.S. assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, and US ambassador to Russia. Ian Brzezinski is a resident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and is a member of the Atlantic Council’s Strategic Advisors Group. He has more than two decades of experience in US national security matters, having served in senior policy positions in both the US Department of Defense and the US Congres

The Coming Ukrainian Counteroffensive with Michael Kofman Apr 28, 2023

While transatlantic partners remain supportive of Ukraine, there are questions about the success of the much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. Many Western leaders harbor doubts about how a protracted war could impact the future of transatlantic support of Ukraine. In this context, how will the Ukrainian counteroffensive shape the future trajectory both of the battlefield and transatlantic unity? Michael Kofman joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss all of this and more.

Michael Kofman is the Research Program Director of the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses and an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

Macron’s Vision for Europe and Its Implications on Transatlantic Unity Apr 14, 2023

Macron's comments on strategic autonomy and Europe's role on Taiwan have sparked criticism amongst transatlantic partners. While the Biden administration and some European Union officials have downplayed the comments, questions remain over whether Macron's views reflect larger European attitudes on the future of the transatlantic partnership.

Liana Fix is a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a historian and political scientist, with expertise in German and European foreign and security policy, European security, transatlantic relations, Russia, and Eastern Europe.

Tara Varma is a visiting fellow in the Center for the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. She focuses on French defense and security policy in the European framework, as well as ongoing efforts to materialize European sovereignty.

Post-Cold War NATO Enlargement and Its Implications Today Apr 07, 2023

Following the release of the book, Evaluating NATO Enlargement: From Cold War Victory to the Russia-Ukraine War, we are discussing NATO enlargement from a historical perspective. The editors, Joshua Shifrinson and James Goldgeier, join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to evaluate the impacts of post-Cold War NATO enlargement on Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Josh Shifrinson is an associate professor for the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland. He is an expert on contemporary international security as it relates to great power politics, U.S. foreign policy, and diplomatic history.

James Goldgeier is a professor for the School of International Service at American University. He is a visiting scholar at Stanford University’s center on International Security and Cooperation as well as a visiting fellow for the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution.

Russia-China Relations One Year after the Invasion of Ukraine, with Bonnie Glaser, Dmitry Gorenburg, Richard Weitz, Yusuke Anami Mar 31, 2023

As Russia has become increasingly isolated on the international stage following its invasion of Ukraine last February, it has sought to deepen its ties with remaining partners such as China. While Beijing has so far provided only limited support to Moscow over the past year, reports that it may be considering sending lethal aid to bolster the Russian war effort suggest a potential inflection point in the relationship.

This special edition of Brussels Sprouts includes a recording of a live CNAS event from Wednesday, March 29th. The discussion features a panel of experts to discuss the deepening relationship between Russia and China.

Yusuke Anami is a professor of Modern Chinese Political History and Contemporary Chinese Politics at Tohoku University.

Bonnie Glaser is the managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund.

Dmitry Gorenburg is a senior research scientist of Russia studies at the Center for Naval Analyses.

Richard Weitz is the senior fellow and director of the Center for Political-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute.

The Future of the Transatlantic Partnership, with Max Bergmann and David Kleimann Mar 17, 2023

What do the visits to the White House by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz mean for the transatlantic partnership? Max Bergmann and David Kleimann join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the issues facing the transatlantic partnership today.

Max Bergmann is the director of the Europe Program and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

David Kleimann is a visiting fellow at Bruegel, where he focuses on the climate and trade policy nexus as well as legal and diplomatic challenges arising from transatlantic and international climate and trade cooperation.

The State of Global Democracy in 2023, with Larry Diamond and Sheri Berman Mar 10, 2023

How should we assess the state of democracy around the world today? Larry Diamond and Sheri Berman join Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, and Carisa Nietsche to discuss the signs of democratic revitalization across the globe.

Larry Diamond is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University.

Sheri Berman is a professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University. Her research interests include European history and politics; the development of democracy; populism and fascism; and the history of the left.

Russian Political Stability: Assessing Putin’s Hold on Power Mar 03, 2023

As we pass the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine, numerous factors such as the Russian military’s poor performance, Putin’s botched mobilization, mounting casualties, economic challenges resulting from sanctions and export controls, and increasingly visible elite fissures are raising questions about the political stability of the Russian regime.

This special edition of Brussels Sprouts includes a recording of a live CNAS event from Thursday, March 2nd. We dive into all of this and more during a conversation with a group of the leading scholars on Putin and authoritarianism. This conversation builds on our recently released Russian stability tracker, which you can find on the CNAS website.

Dr. Timothy Frye is the Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Policy at Columbia University, where he researches comparative politics and the political economy focusing on the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

Dr. Marlene Laruelle is the Director for the Institute of European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies and the Illiberalism Studies Program at The George Washington University. She studies the rise of populist and illiberal movements in post-Soviet Eurasia, Europe, and the United States.

Dr. Brian Taylor is the Director of the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs as well as a professor of political science at Syracuse University. His research focuses on the development of the Russian state, with particular interest in its use of state coercive organizations.

Dr. Daniel Treisman is a professor of political science at UCLA as well as a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He studies Russian politics and economics, focusing on democratization, political decentralization, and corruption.

Marking One Year of the War in Ukraine Feb 24, 2023

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the reality is setting in that we are facing a drawn out and protracted conflict. Both the United States and Europe are grappling with this reality, and it is likely that Russia is grappling with this reality as well. This special edition of Brussels Sprouts includes a recording of a live CNAS event from Wednesday, February 22nd. The first half of the discussion will feature a panel looking at the battlefield dynamics in Ukraine, including what we should expect and what Ukraine requires to restore its borders and its sovereignty. A second panel will then dive into the nature of ongoing Western support, including views from Europe and the United States.

Jeff Edmonds is a Research Scientist with the Center for Naval Analyses’ (CNA) Russia Studies Program and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at CNAS. His research focuses on the Russian military, foreign policy, Russian threat perceptions, and Russian information and cyber operations.

Rob Lee is a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program. He is a former Marine infantry officer, and is currently completing his PhD on Russian defense policy at King’s College London’s War Studies Department.

Shashank Joshi is The Economist‘s defense editor. Prior to joining The Economist, he served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and Research Associate at Oxford University’s Changing Character of War Programme.

Steve Biegun is the Weiser International Policymaker in Residence with the Weiser Diplomacy Center at the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. He has over two decades of high-level government experience, most recently serving as the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State.

Kadri Liik is a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Her research focuses on Russia, Eastern Europe, and the Baltic region.

Dr. Claudia Major is head of the International Security Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin (SWP). Her research and publications focus on security and defense policy in Europe in a transatlantic context.

Assessing NATO’s Evolving Role Feb 17, 2023

Over the past year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reinvigorated NATO, with the presence of major war on the European continent highlighting the alliance’s importance for collective defense. While NATO is not directly involved in the conflict, it has assumed a leading role in both coordinating aid to Ukraine and strengthening Europe’s deterrence posture. Benedetta Berti and David Cattler join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how NATO is confronting this fundamentally altered security environment.

Benedetta Berti is the Head of Policy Planning in the office of the Secretary General of NATO. She is a foreign policy and security researcher, analyst, consultant, author, and lecturer.

David Cattler is NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary General he was a senior national and defense intelligence official of the United States.

The View from Berlin: Transatlantic Relations in 2023 Feb 10, 2023

To continue our “New Year” series on Brussels Sprouts, we turn to the state of transatlantic relations going into 2023. The past year has demanded extensive coordination between the United States and Europe in responding to Russia’s war against Ukraine, acting as a stress test for the strength of the transatlantic relationship. So far, unity has largely held, though Germany’s recent hesitation to send tanks to Ukraine and persistent tensions in the economic domain continue to challenge the relationship. Wolfgang Ischinger and Sophia Besch join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss these recent developments in transatlantic relations from a German perspective.

Wolfgang Ischinger is the former chairman of the Munich Security Conference. He also previously served in the German government as State Secretary and Ambassador to the United States.

Sophia Besch is a fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her area of expertise is European defense policy.

European Strategic Autonomy: Views from Paris, Berlin, and Warsaw Feb 03, 2023

Over the past year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has spurred Europe to devote greater attention to its defense capabilities. Yet rather than providing momentum to Europe’s stated ambitions of strategic autonomy, the war has instead seemed to underscore its continued dependence on the US and NATO for defense. In this seemingly paradoxical moment, what future may lie in store for European strategic autonomy? Liana Fix, Tara Varma, and Justyna Gotkowska join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how Paris, Berlin, and Warsaw view the outlook for European strategic autonomy.

Liana Fix is a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a historian and political scientist, with expertise in German and European foreign and security policy, European security, transatlantic relations, Russia, and Eastern Europe.

Justyna Gotkowska is the Deputy Director of the Centre for Eastern Studies based in Warsaw, Poland. Her work focuses on security and defense issues in Northern and Central Europe, including defense policies and armed forces’ developments in Germany as well as in the Nordic and Baltic states.

Tara Varma is a visiting fellow in the Center for the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. She focuses on current French defense and security proposals in the European framework, as well as ongoing efforts to materialize European sovereignty in health, economics, climate, energy, and more traditional security fields.

The Outlook for Ukraine in 2023 Jan 27, 2023

In the latest installment of our “New Year” series, we take stock of where things stand in Ukraine as we head into 2023. Over the past couple of months, the lines of territorial control have remained mostly stable between Ukraine and Russia following Kyiv’s liberation of Kherson in November. However, many are now looking ahead to intensification of the fighting in the coming weeks. Lawrence Freedman and Mike Kofman join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how the situation in Ukraine is likely to evolve during the second year of fighting. Lawrence Freedman is an Emeritus Professor of War Studies at King's College London and the author of the recently published book Command: The Politics of Military Operations from Korea to Ukraine. Mike Kofman is the Research Program Director in the Russia Studies Program at CNA as well as an Adjunct Senior Fellow at CNAS. His research focuses on Russia and the former Soviet Union, specializing in Russian armed forces, military thought, capabilities, and strategy.

What the New Congress Means for Transatlantic Relations Jan 20, 2023

To continue our “New Year” series on Brussels Sprouts, we turn our attention to recent events in the United States Congress and their implications for the transatlantic relationship. The beginning of 2023 was marked by significant turmoil in the House of Representatives, as Republicans struggled for nearly a week to elect a new Speaker of the House. Questions about what to expect from this Congress are relevant not only to Americans but also to our allies, including those in Europe. Peter Baker and Sarah Binder join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to break down the short- and long-term implications of the events in Congress as well as how Europeans should view the situation in the U.S.

Peter Baker is the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times, responsible for reporting on President Biden, the fifth president he has covered. He previously wrote about Presidents Donald J. Trump and Barack Obama for The New York Times, and Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush for The Washington Post.

Sarah Binder is a senior fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution and professor of political science at George Washington University, where she specializes in Congress and legislative politics.

What to Expect of Europe-China Relations in 2023 Jan 16, 2023

2022 brought about a number of developments in Europe-China relations. While there was continued convergence between European and U.S. policy on China, there are still areas of disagreement when it comes to Beijing. What should we expect for Europe’s relationship with China heading into 2023? Noah Barkin and Mikko Huotari join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss the state of Europe-China relations and the outlook for the year ahead. Noah Barkin is a Managing Editor with Rhodium Group's China practice and a Senior Visiting Fellow in the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund. Mikko Huotari is the Executive Director of MERICS. His research focuses on China’s foreign policy, China-Europe relations and global (economic) governance and competition.

The Case for Supporting Russian Civil Society, with Jamie Fly and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Dec 29, 2022

Since the invasion of Ukraine, the media environment inside Russia has become increasingly restricted. This represents the acceleration of the Putin regime’s crackdown on the information space over the past several years, including through the targeting of journalists, activists, and news outlets. In this atmosphere, pushing back against efforts by the Kremlin to control the narrative is both more important and more difficult than ever. Two organizations that are continuing to do this work are Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Current Time, which make use of online platforms and anticensorship tools to reach audiences inside Russia who are seeking reliable and trustworthy information. Jamie Fly, Andrey Shary, and Pavel Butorin join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss their work at RFE/RL and Current Time as well as the state of civil society in Russia more broadly.

▪ Jamie Fly is the President and Chief Executive Officer of RFE/RL.

▪ Andrey Shary is the director of RFE/RL's Russian Service, Radio Svoboda.

▪ Pavel Butorin is the Director of Current Time TV, a Russian language digital and TV network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with the Voice of America.

Turkey and Transatlantic Relations: Ankara’s views on Greece, Ukraine, NATO and more Dec 16, 2022

In recent weeks, Turkey has been grabbing the headlines with a series of major moves. Just a few days ago, Turkish President Erdogan provoked anxiety in the U.S. and Europe by threatening to strike Athens with ballistic missiles, raising tensions with Greece. Meanwhile, Erdogan and Russian President Putin are reportedly discussing making Turkey a regional hub for Russian natural gas headed to Europe. All of this is occurring against the backdrop of Turkey’s increasingly contentious position within NATO, including its delays in approving membership bids by Finland and Sweden. How might these developments in Turkish foreign policy impact European security and transatlantic relations? Asli Aydintasbas and Steven Cook join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss Turkey’s role on the international stage.

-Asli Aydintasbas is a visiting fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. Prior to joining the foreign policy community, she had a long career in journalism, during which she focused on Turkey, its domestic evolution, and foreign policy in an age of regional reshuffling and geopolitical competition.

-Steven Cook is the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is an expert on Arab and Turkish politics as well as U.S.-Middle East policy.

Decoding Round 3 of the Trade and Technology Council Dec 09, 2022

What were the key outcomes from the third meeting of the Trade and Technology Council? Tyson Barker and Frances Burwell join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss their top takeaways and what to look out for in the months ahead. Tyson Barker is the head of Technology and Global Affairs at the German Council on Foreign Relations. He previously worked at Aspen Germany where, as deputy executive director and fellow, he was responsible for the institute’s digital and transatlantic programs. Frances G. Burwell is a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council and a senior director at McLarty Associates. Her work focuses on the European Union and US-EU relations as well as a range of transatlantic economic, political, and defense issues.

Transatlantic tension? Views from Paris, Berlin, and Brussels Dec 02, 2022

Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Washington for the first state visit of the Biden administration. This visit comes on the heels of many months of strong transatlantic cooperation in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine. More recently, however, there have been signs of new strains on the transatlantic relationship, in particular with respect to trade issues. There have also been accusations that the United States is attempting to profit from the energy crisis by selling LNG at high prices to Europe. How might these ongoing tensions affect transatlantic cooperation going forward? Liana Fix, Mathieu Droin, and David Kleimann join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how Paris, Berlin, and Brussels view the status of transatlantic relations. ▪ Liana Fix is a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a historian and political scientist, with expertise in German and European foreign and security policy, European security, transatlantic relations, Russia, and Eastern Europe. ▪ Mathieu Droin is a visiting fellow in the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where he focuses on transatlantic European security and defense. Prior to joining CSIS, Mathieu served as deputy head of the strategic affairs unit at the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. ▪ David Kleimann is a visiting fellow at Bruegel, where he focuses on the climate and trade policy nexus as well as legal and diplomatic challenges arising from transatlantic and international climate and trade cooperation. David is an expert on trade issues with 15 years of experience in law, policy, and institutions governing EU and international trade.

Russia’s Withdrawal from Kherson, with Mike Kofman and Mick Ryan Nov 16, 2022

Last week, Kiev reached an important milestone when Russian troops withdrew from the city of Kherson. This retreat has both strategic and symbolic significance, given that Kherson was the only regional capital that Moscow had managed to take since beginning its invasion in February. It also further adds to Ukraine’s momentum over the past few months, during which Kiev has liberated nearly half of the territory originally occupied by Russia. Nevertheless, serious questions remain about the months ahead.Where can Ukraine go from here? How might the U.S. and Europe support Ukraine to end the war sooner rather than later? What are the new risks Kiev may face in the coming months? Michael Kofman and Mick Ryan join Andrea Kendall-Taylor to discuss the implications of the Russian withdrawal from Kherson, and what it means for Ukraine going forward. Michael Kofman is the Research Program Director in the Russia Studies Program at CNA as well as an Adjunct Senior Fellow at CNAS. His research focuses on Russia and the former Soviet Union, specializing in Russian armed forces, military thought, capabilities, and strategy. Mick Ryan is an Adjunct Fellow with the Australia Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is also a retired major general in the Australian army as well as the author of "War Transformed: The Future of 21st Century Great Power Competition and Conflict."

Unpacking the U.S. Midterm Elections, with Steve Erlanger and Doug Kriner Nov 10, 2022

On Tuesday, November 8th, voters went to the polls in the United States for the first federal elections since President Joe Biden took office. With control of both chambers of the U.S. Congress hanging in the balance, the results of these midterm elections have been highly anticipated not only in the United States but around the world. Although full results are not yet in, it looks likely that Democrats will lose their majority in the House of Representatives, while the Senate remains up for grabs. The shift in Congressional power will raise questions about the Biden Administration’s future ability to execute on its foreign policy agenda. Most significantly, it is unclear to what extent Congress will continue to provide support for Ukraine amidst considerable isolationist sentiment in the Republican party. Other issues of particular concern to allies in Europe include U.S. efforts to tackle climate change, persistent trade tensions, the future U.S. policy toward China, and more. Steve Erlanger and Doug Kriner join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to unpack what the election results could mean for the future of the transatlantic relationship and international relations more broadly. Steve Erlanger is the chief diplomatic correspondent in Europe for The New York Times. A two-time Pulitzer Prize recipient, he has previously served as the Times’ bureau chief in seven countries, including posts in London, Paris, Moscow, and Berlin. Doug Kriner is The Clinton Rossiter Professor in American Institutions in the Department of Government at Cornell University. His research and teaching interests focus on American political institutions and the separation of powers, as well as on US foreign policy.

What Xi’s Third Term Means for Europe, with Bonnie Glaser and Dave Shullman Nov 01, 2022

With the conclusion of the Chinese Communist Party’s 20th National Party Congress last week, Xi Jinping has now secured a precedent-breaking third term as general secretary. The Congress was also notable for Xi’s moves to replace the Politburo Standing Committee with a slate of his most committed loyalists, cementing his authoritarian grasp on power. Against the backdrop of these events, E.U. leaders met last week in Brussels to discuss their approach to Beijing, raising concerns over Europe’s continued dependence on China for technology and raw materials. How has the war in Ukraine impacted European attitudes and policies toward China? Will German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s planned visit to the PRC this week pose a risk to future European cohesion on China? Bonnie Glaser and Dave Shullman join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to unpack the party congress and what a third term for Xi means for Europe.  Bonnie Glaser is director of the Asia Program at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. She was previously senior adviser for Asia and the director of the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, while also serving as a nonresident fellow with the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, and a senior associate with the Pacific Forum.  Dave Shullman is senior director of the Global China Hub at the Atlantic Council, where he leads the council’s work on China. He has served as one of the US Government’s top experts on East Asia, most recently as Deputy National Intelligence Officer for East Asia on the National Intelligence Council, where he led the IC’s strategic analysis on East Asia.

War in Ukraine: Entering an Increasingly Dangerous Phase, with Amb. Bill Taylor and Amb. John Tefft Oct 14, 2022

As the war in Ukraine continues into its tenth month, it appears to have entered its most dangerous phase yet. During the past week, Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian civilians have intensified, in apparent retaliation for last weekend’s destruction of the Kerch Strait Bridge. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons following the annexation of four Ukrainian regions in the east and south have raised alarms across the world, even causing U.S. President Joe Biden to make warnings about the risks of “nuclear Armageddon.” Finally, the Ukrainian counteroffensive continues to make significant progress in reclaiming occupied territory, though it remains unclear to what extent Russia’s partial military mobilization may be able to turn back the tide. Ambassadors Bill Taylor and John Tefft join Andrea Kendall-Taylor to discuss the most recent developments in this increasingly dangerous phase of the war, and how Putin might maneuver going forward. Bill Taylor is the Vice President for Russia and Eurasia at the United States Institute of Peace. He served as U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine from 2006 to 2009. John Tefft is a retired U.S. diplomat with more than 45 years of experience in the foreign service. He has previously served as U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, and Lithuania.

Crafting Transatlantic Responses to BRI Oct 07, 2022

Nine years after the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s flagship global infrastructure investment program is at a critical juncture. While many countries were initially eager to sign up for the initiative, the BRI has recently lost some of its luster in the face of mounting obstacles including delays, corruption, and heavy debt burdens associated with its projects. Over the past year, CNAS researchers have been thinking through how the BRI might develop in the two key regions of Europe and the Indo-Pacific, forecasting different scenarios for its evolution along with their respective consequences. This research recently culminated in the launch of a report entitled “Competitive Connectivity: Crafting Transatlantic Responses to the Belt and Road Initiative,” which outlines how the United States and Europe can work together to compete against the BRI. The authors of the report join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how the BRI stands up nearly a decade after its launch, and how Europe and the U.S. might push against it going forward. Lisa Curtis is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at CNAS. Jake Stokes is a Fellow with the Indo-Pacific Security Program at CNAS. Josh Fitt is an Associate Fellow with the Indo-Pacific Security Program at CNAS. Carisa Nietsche is an Associate Fellow with the Transatlantic Security Program at CNAS. Nicholas Lokker is a Research Assistant with the Transatlantic Security Program at CNAS.

The Italian Elections, with Nathalie Tocci and Cecilia Sottilotta Sep 30, 2022

This past weekend, voters in Italy went to the polls for national parliamentary elections. As expected, the elections resulted in a victory for the alliance led by Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party, which received enough votes to govern without support from the center-left. How significant of a change does this result represent for Italy, and how worried should we be about its implications for Europe and the transatlantic community? Nathalie Tocci and Cecilia Sottilotta join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to move beyond the headlines and assess what Meloni’s victory means for Italian and European politics. Nathalie Tocci is Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali and an Honorary Professor at the University of Tübingen. She was previously Special Advisor to EU High Representatives Federica Mogherini and Josep Borrell, during which she wrote the European Union’s Global Strategy and worked on its implementation. Cecilia Sottilotta is an Assistant Professor at the American University of Rome. She is a leading expert on political risk analysis and is a frequent media commentator on Italian and European affairs.

New Phase of War: Ukrainian Offensive and Russian Mobilization, with Mick Ryan and Rob Lee Sep 21, 2022

How have recent Ukrainian counteroffensives changed the trajectory of the war? Will Putin’s announcement of Russian mobilization increase the risk of potential escalation? After a highly successful Ukrainian counteroffensive in the North, Putin has now sought to turn the tables with two important developments. First, Kremlin proxies in four Ukrainian regions have announced plans for sham referenda on annexation to Russia. Additionally, Putin has announced a “partial” mobilization in which he plans to bring 300,000 reservists into Ukraine. Mick Ryan and Robert Lee join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the most recent developments shaping the war in both Ukraine and Russia. Mick Ryan is an Adjunct Fellow with the Australia Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is also a retired major general in the Australian army as well as the author of War Transformed: The Future of 21st Century Great Power Competition and Conflict. Rob Lee is a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program and a former Marine infantry officer. He is currently completing his PhD on Russian defense policy at King’s College London’s War Studies Department.

Looking Toward the Balkans, with Damir Marusic and Majda Ruge Sep 09, 2022

What do the war in Ukraine and prospects of E.U. enlargement mean for the Balkans? Damir Marusic and Majda Ruge join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Nick Lokker to discuss how the shifting dynamics across the continent could impact the region’s politics. Damir Marusic is a resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center. He works principally on the Council’s Balkans Forward Initiative, an effort working to foster a democratic, secure, and prosperous Western Balkans firmly integrated into the transatlantic community. Majda Ruge is a senior policy fellow with the Wider Europe program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, based in Berlin. Before joining ECFR, she spent three years as a fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute/SAIS at Johns Hopkins University.

Germany’s Shifting International Role, with Jana Puglierin and Sam Denney Sep 02, 2022

During recent weeks and months, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly been in the spotlight, drawing both praise and criticism from observers in Germany and abroad. On the one hand, he has received positive attention for his efforts to promote an ambitious agenda that would transform both Germany and the European Union, attempting to meet the pivotal current moment sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. On the other hand, Scholz has encountered significant challenges in executing on this political agenda, facing a worsening energy crisis, a fractious coalition government, and a series of personal scandals. Jana Puglierin and Sam Denney join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss Scholz’s recent speech in Prague, and the shifting dynamics within the European Union that could impact the future of the war in Ukraine. Jana Puglierin is the head of the Berlin office and a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Her work focuses on German and European foreign, security, and defense policy, as well as Germany’s role in Europe and transatlantic relations. Sam Denney is a German Chancellor Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Stiftung. He specializes in U.S. foreign policy, transatlantic relations, German domestic and foreign policy, and threats to democracy in Europe.

A Looming Crisis in the Indo-Pacific, with Jude Blanchette and Zack Cooper Aug 22, 2022

How does the crisis provoked by Nancy Pelosi’s recent trip to Taiwan illustrate the broader state of U.S.-China relations?Jude Blanchette and Zack Cooper join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the likely trajectory of the crisis and its broader implications for the transatlantic community. Jude Blanchette holds the Freeman Chair in China Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Previously, he was engagement director at The Conference Board’s China Center for Economics and Business in Beijing, where he researched China’s political environment with a focus on the workings of the Communist Party of China and its impact on foreign companies and investors. Zack Cooper is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies U.S. strategy in Asia, including alliance dynamics and U.S.-China competition. He also teaches at Princeton University, co-directs the Alliance for Securing Democracy, and cohosts the “Net Assessment” podcast.

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