Brussels Sprouts

Flash Release: Alex Gabuev and Dave Shullman React to Russia-China Meeting

As the 2022 winter Olympics kicked off last Friday in Beijing, a high-profile meeting took place on the sidelines between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Following their meeting, Putin and Xi released a joint statement emphasizing their shared grievances with respect to the U.S.-led world order, condemning NATO enlargement as well as alleged attempts by outside forces to interfere in their internal affairs. Despite this show of solidarity, however, tensions remain in the relationship between Moscow and Beijing. Alexander Gabuev and David Shullman join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to help us make sense of this development.
Alexander Gabuev is a senior fellow and the Chair of the Russia in the Asia-Pacific Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center. His research is focused on Russia’s policy toward East and Southeast Asia, political and ideological trends in China, and China’s relations with its neighbors.
David Shullman is Senior Director of the Global China Hub at the Atlantic Council, where he leads the council’s work on China. David’s research focuses on China’s foreign policy and grand strategy, U.S.-China relations, China-Russia relations, and the implications of China’s rise for global order and the future of democracy.

Flash Release: Christoph Heusgen Reacts to Evolving Ukraine Crisis

Vladimir Putin recently spoke about Ukraine for the first time since December—a speech in which he conveyed mixed messages about his intentions. On the one hand, he noted that he hoped to find a solution to the crisis, noting the extensive diplomacy that has been taking place. On the other hand, he emphasized that Russia’s security concerns have not been seriously addressed by the United States and Europe, underscoring the difficulty of coming to an agreement. Meanwhile, facts on the ground continue to suggest that conflict remains more likely than not, as Russian forces continue to increase—including, more units, logistics, and enablers such as blood supplies. Germany’s former UN Ambassador, Christoph Heusgen, joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the rapidly evolving situation.
Christoph Heusgen is the former Ambassador of Germany to the United Nations, a role which he held from 2017 to 2021. He previously served as a top security and foreign affairs advisor to former Chancellor Angela Merkel, and later this year he will take over as Chairman of the Munich Security Conference.

Flash Release: Ben Hodges Reacts to U.S.-NATO Response

The United States and its NATO allies have begun pursuing other courses of action to the Russia-Ukraine crisis besides diplomacy, including decisions to put military forces on standby and to send ships and fighter jets to reinforce Eastern Europe. Amid this flurry of activity, there has been a lack of clarity about the intentions behind these moves, lending support to the false Kremlin narrative that NATO forces are converging on Russia and pose a threat to the country’s security interests. Ben Hodges joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss what the U.S.-NATO response to Ukraine really means, along with discussing the potential trajectory of future events.
Lieutenant General (ret.)Ben Hodges holds the Pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center for European Policy Analysis. He previously served in the U.S. Army for 38 years, completing his last assignment as commander of U.S. Army Europe from 2014-2017 in Wiesbaden, Germany.

Flash Release: Constanze Stelzenmüller and Jana Puglierin React to Germany’s Approach to Ukraine

The strength of Germany’s support for Ukraine and the overall cohesion of NATO has come under question after Germany blocked Estonia from sending German-made howitzer artillery to Ukraine. In continuation of our series of rapid reactions to this constantly developing crisis between Russia and Ukraine, Constanze Stelzenmüller and Jana Puglierin join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how events are likely to unfold in the upcoming weeks.
Constanze Stelzenmüller is an expert on German, European, and transatlantic foreign and security policy, and strategy. She is the inaugural holder of the Fritz Stern Chair on Germany and Transatlantic Relations in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution.
Jana Puglierin is the head of the Berlin office and a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. She directs ECFR’s Re:shape Global Europe project and has also advised the German Bundestag as an expert on arms control and non-proliferation.

France’s Monumental Months Ahead with Célia Belin and Tara Varma

France has entered a pivotal period that will determine its future political trajectory as it begins its six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union while also being a few months out from the country’s presidential election in April. What can we expect in the upcoming months? Célia Belin and Tara Varma join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the numerous opportunities and obstacles that the convergence of these two events poses for the future of France.
Célia Belin is a visiting fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. Her areas of expertise include transatlantic relations, U.S. foreign policy toward Europe, and French politics and foreign policy.
Tara Varma is a senior policy fellow and head of the Paris office of the European Council on Foreign Relations, where she follows French foreign policy and European security developments.

Flash Release: Angela Stent and Michael Kofman React to Developing Russian Escalation

Leaders in both the United States and Europe are scrambling to figure out how to deter Russia from invading Ukraine and how to respond if Moscow does in fact go through with military aggression. In continuation of our series of rapid reactions to this constantly developing crisis, Michael Kofman and Angela Stent join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how events are likely to unfold in the coming weeks.
Michael Kofman serves as an Adjunct Senior Fellow for the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, as well as Research Program Director in the Russia Studies Program at CNA and as a Fellow at the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center in Washington, DC. His research focuses on Russia and the former Soviet Union, specializing in Russian armed forces, military thought, capabilities, and strategy.
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.

Reflections on the Past Year in Transatlantic Relations, with Kori Schake and Steven Erlanger

After a 2021 filled with both ups and downs, where do things stand between the United States and Europe as we head into 2022? Kori Schake and Steven Erlanger join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how transatlantic relations have fared over the past year.
Kori Schake is a senior fellow and the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute. Dr. Schake has previously served as the deputy director-general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, as well as in various positions in the U.S. government.
Steven 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.

Flash Release: Fiona Hill Reacts to U.S-Russia Talks

As the situation in Ukraine continues to quickly evolve, what can we expect in the upcoming future? Fiona Hill joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss what these various meetings could mean for the future of Ukraine and European security more broadly.
Fiona Hill is a Senior Fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe in the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She recently served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council from 2017 to 2019.

Flash Release: Mike McFaul Reacts to U.S.-Russia Talks

Could there be a diplomatic solution to avoid an armed escalation in Ukraine after initial diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Russia? Michael McFaul joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the result of the first round of dialogue between American and Russian officials in Geneva.
Michael McFaul is the Director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. He served for five years in the Obama administration, first as Senior Director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council from 2009 to 2012, and then as U.S. Ambassador to the Russian Federation from 2012 to 2014.

Relations with Russia in the Arctic, with Mikkel Runge Olesen and Flemming Splidsboel Hansen

How should the U.S. and its Arctic allies approach relations with Russia in the region? In this special co-branded episode, Mikkel Runge Olesen and Flemming Splidsboel Hansen from the Danish Institute of International Studies join Jim Townsend to discuss the path toward a stable and secure Arctic.
Mikkel Runge Olesen is a Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies. His work focuses on NATO and transatlantic relations, the Arctic, Baltic Sea security, and Danish foreign policy.
Flemming Splidsboel Hansen is a Senior Researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, where his research focuses on the post-Soviet space, including Russian foreign policy and military affairs.