Brussels Sprouts

Autocratization in Central Europe with Dan Kelemen and Freedom House’s Zselyke Csaky

What does the deepening crisis of autocratization in Hungary and elsewhere in Central Europe mean for the future of the European Union? Dan Kelemen and Zselyke Csaky join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss the roots of the current situation and how the EU and U.S. can push back against democratic backsliding going forward.
Dan Kelemen is Professor of Political Science and Law and Jean Monnet Chair in European Union Politics at Rutgers University. His research focuses on the politics of the European Union, law and politics, comparative political economy, and comparative public policy. He is the author or editor of six books, including The Transformation of Law and Regulation in the European Union, which won the Best Book award from the European Union Studies Association in 2013.
Zselyke Csaky is the Research Director for Europe and Eurasia at Freedom House. In this role, she leads work on Nations in Transit, Freedom House’s annual survey of democracy from Central Europe to Central Asia. Prior to joining Freedom House, she served as researcher at Amnesty International, the International Service for Human Rights, and the European Parliament.

Merkel’s Upcoming Visit and the Future of U.S.-German Relations with Cathryn Clüver and Jeff Rathke

What is the significance of Angela Merkel’s upcoming White House for the future of U.S.-German relations? Cathryn Clüver and Jeff Rathke join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the most important aspects of the July 15 meeting and how the U.S. and Germany can work together on a range of issues going forward.
Cathryn Clüver is the Director and CEO of the German Council on Foreign Relations. She was previously executive director of The Future of Diplomacy Project and The Project on Europe and the Transatlantic Relationship at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center.
Jeff Rathke is the President of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.Prior to joining AICGS, Jeff was a senior fellow and deputy director of the Europe Program at CSIS, where his work focused on transatlantic relations and U.S. security and defense policy.

President Biden’s Trip to Europe, with Jeremy Shapiro and Amy Mackinnon

What concrete outcomes were achieved during President Joe Biden’s recent trip to Europe? Jeremy Shapiro and Amy Mackinnon join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the future of the transatlantic alliance in the wake of a series of summits between Biden and America’s European allies as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Jeremy Shapiro is the research director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, as well as a nonresident fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. Prior to Brookings, he was a member of the U.S. State Department’s policy planning staff, and previously served as senior advisor to Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Gordon.
Amy Mackinnon is a national security and intelligence reporter atForeign Policy. She has reported from across Eastern Europe and was previously based in Moscow and in Tbilisi, Georgia, as senior editor for the crisis reporting siteCoda Story.

Political Opposition in Russia & U.S.–Russian Relations, with Leonid Volkov

What is the future of political opposition in Russia? Leonid Volkov joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the June 16 Biden-Putin summit, the trajectory of U.S.-Russia relations, and political opposition in Russia.
Leonid Volkov is chief of staff for Alexey Navalny. He was his campaign manager for the 2013 mayoral campaign in Moscow, as well as for his attempt to get registered for the 2018 presidential election in Russia.

Transatlantic Summits and U.S.–Russia Relations, with Adm. James G. Stavridis (Ret.)

What are the implications for the transatlantic community of discussions held at the transatlantic June summits? Adm. James G. Stavridis (Ret.) joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss President Biden’s trip to Europe and his upcoming summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Adm. James G. Stavridis (Ret.) is a retired four-star U.S. naval officer. He is currently an Operating Executive of The Carlyle Group and Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Rockefeller Foundation. Adm. Stavridis had a 37-year military career, during which he led the NATO Alliance in global operations from 2009 to 2013 as Supreme Allied Commander, where he was responsible for Afghanistan, Libya, the Balkans, Syria, counter piracy, and cyber security.

CNAS 2021 National Security Conference | Live Podcast: CNAS Brussels Sprouts

As part of Day 2 of the CNAS 2021 National Security Conference on June 9, 2021, the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program hosted a live, interactive recording of the Center’s Brussels Sprouts podcast with co-hosts Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend, featuring Steven Erlanger, Anne Gearan, Susan B. Glasser, and Constanze Stelzenmüller.

The Greens and the Future of German Defense Policy, with Claudia Major and Christian Mölling

What is role of defense and security in the upcoming German election? Christian Mölling and Claudia Major join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the future of German security and defense policy under new leadership, what that might mean for the transatlantic alliance, and more.
Claudia Major is the Head of the International Security Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin. Her work focusses on security and defense policy in Europe and in a transatlantic context. Christian Mölling became research director of German Council on Foreign Relations in February 2017, where he also heads the Security and Defense Program.

Russia and NATO in Eastern Europe, with GEN (Ret.) Curtis Scaparrotti and LTG (Ret.) Ben Hodges

What are Russia’s goals are in their military posture in and around Ukraine, and how might the U.S. and NATO respond? General (Ret.) Curtis Scaparrotti and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Ben Hodges join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss Russia’s military presence on the Ukrainian border, the drawdown of Russian troops, and NATO’s broader posture in Eastern Europe.
General (Ret.) Curtis Scaparrotti is a senior counselor at the Cohen Group. In 2019, he completed a distinguished 41-year career in the US Army as the Commander, US European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, NATO. 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.

Nord Stream 2 and the Biden Administration, with Daniel Fried and Steven Pifer

How can the transatlantic alliance manage the political and security challenges presented by the Nord Stream 2 pipeline? Daniel Fried and Steven Piferjoin Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss Nord Stream 2, diplomatic challenges, and more.
Daniel Fried is a Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council. He is also on the Board of Directors of the National Endowment for Democracy and a Visiting Professor at Warsaw University. He previously had a forty-year career in Foreign Service, where he played a key role in designing and implementing American policy in Europe after the fall of the Soviet Union. He became one of the U.S. government’s foremost experts on Central and Eastern Europe and Russia. Steven Pifer is a fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin and a non-resident senior fellow with the Brookings Institution. In his previous career as a Foreign Service officer, his more than 25 years with the State Department focused on U.S. relations with the former Soviet Union and Europe, as well as arms control and security issues. His research focuses on nuclear arms control, Ukraine, Russia, and European security.

U.S. and Allied Withdrawal from Afghanistan, with Federica Mogherini and Lisa Curtis

What does President Biden’s decision to withdraw all troops from Afghanistan mean for American allies? Federica Mogherini and Lisa Curtis join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the decision to withdraw, allied forces in Afghanistan, and more.
Federica Mogherini is Rector of the College of Europe. She previously served as High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission from 2014-2019. Lisa Curtis is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). She is a foreign policy and national security expert with over 20 years of service in the U.S. government, including at the NSC, CIA, State Department, and Capitol Hill.