Brussels Sprouts

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.

Nordic Defense Policy and Arctic Security, with Janne Kuusela and Svein Efjestad

Svein Efjestad and Janne Kuusela join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss Nordic defense policy, Arctic security, and more.
Janne Kuusela has served as the Deputy Director General for Defense Policy at the Ministry of Defense of Finland since January 2016, where he also performs the duty of Defense Policy Director. Svein Efjestad became Policy Director at the Norwegian Ministry of Defense in 2013. He is also currently chairing the Coast Guard Council, where he represents Norway at the Political Steering Committee of the Nordic Defense Cooperation.

NATO, China, and Russia: A Balancing Act? with Sara Bjerg Moller and Ian Brzezinski

Sara Bjerg Moller and Ian Brzezinski join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the future of NATO and its ability to balance security challenges from both China and Russia.
Sara Bjerg Moller is an Assistant Professor at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University, where she directs the International Security specialization. Ian Brzezinski is a resident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and is on the Atlantic Council’s Strategic Advisors Group.

Russia’s Military Buildup on the Ukrainian Border, with Maxim Samorukov and Michael Kofman

What is motivating Russia's recent military buildup on the Ukrainian border? On April 6, 2021, Maxim Samorukov and Michael Kofman joined Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss Russian military activity on Ukraine’s border, the international community’s response, and more.
Mike Kofman is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Naval Analyses' Russia Studies Program, a Fellow at the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center, as well as an adjunct senior fellow on the Transatlantic Security program at the Center for a New American Security. Maxim Samorukov is a fellow at the Carnegie Moscow Center and deputy editor of the Center’s website.

Technology Policy in the Transatlantic Alliance, with Frances Burwell and Tyson Barker

Frances Burwell and Tyson Barker join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss transatlantic technology policy, the EU’s Digital Compass, and where the U.S. and European tech policies diverge.
Frances (Fran) Burwell is a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council and a senior adviser at McLarty Associates, and Tyson Barker leads the Technology and Global Affairs Program at the German Council on Foreign Relations.