Brussels Sprouts

Why Turkey Matters to the United States and Europe, with Soner Cagaptay

Soner Cagaptay joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the future of Turkish politics and democracy, Turkey’s role in the NATO alliance, and why the U.S. should care about relations with Ankara. Cagaptay is a senior fellow and director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He has written extensively on Turkish politics and U.S.-Turkish relations and is the author of "Erdogan’s Empire: Turkey and the Politics of the Middle East."

European Outlooks on the Transatlantic Relationship, with Jana Puglierin

Jana Puglierin joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how Europeans are thinking about the United States and a future transatlantic relationship. Puglierin is a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, where she is also head of the Berlin office and director of the “Rethink: Europe” initiative. She has also advised the German Bundestag as an expert on arms control and non-proliferation.

Prospects for Democracy in Belarus, with Judy Dempsey and Jonathan Katz

Judy Dempsey and Jonathan Katz join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the ongoing protests in Belarus and the country’s prospects for a democratic political transition. Dempsey is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, the editor-in-chief of the Strategic Europe blog, and a veteran journalist on European issues. Katz is a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and previously served as deputy assistant administrator of USAID for Europe and Eurasia.

Disinformation and Democracy, with Nina Jankowicz

Nina Jankowicz joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, and Carisa Nietsche to discuss the continuing use of information warfare by malign actors, particularly Russia and China, and how democracies can counter it. Jankowicz is a research fellow at the Wilson Center and the author of the new book “How to Lose the Information War: Russia, Fake News, and the Future of Conflict.”

Kicking-off the Next Season of Brussels Sprouts with Amb. Nicholas Burns

In the first episode of our new season, Amb. Nicholas Burns joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss U.S.-Europe relations under the Trump administration and how the election could change their course. Burns is the former U.S. ambassador to NATO and Greece, a former career Foreign Service Officer, and a professor of diplomacy and international relations at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Germany’s EU Council Presidency, with Amb. Emily Haber

Amb. Emily Haber joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss U.S.-German relations and the EU’s response to the pandemic and economic crisis. Haber is the German ambassador to the United States and a longtime German senior diplomat with several previous roles in Moscow and Berlin.

Putin’s Rise to Power, with Catherine Belton

Catherine Belton joins Andrea-Kendall Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss her new book, “Putin’s People,” and what she has learned from her reporting into Vladimir Putin’s rise to power. Belton is an investigative journalist for Reuters and a former Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times.

Polish Democracy After Duda’s Re-election, with Melissa Hooper and Dalibor Rohac

Melissa Hooper and Dalibor Rohac join Andrea-Kendall Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss the results of Poland’s presidential election and the prospects for democracy in Poland. Hooper is a lawyer and rule of law expert. She is the director of the Foreign Policy and Human Rights Advocacy program at Human Rights First, where she researches anti-democratic trends in Russia and Central Europe. Rohac is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies transatlantic relations and political trends in Central and Eastern Europe, and a research associate at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies.

Vladimir Putin and the Future of Russian Politics, with Michael McFaul and Vladimir Kara-Murza

​Ambassador (ret.) Michael McFaul and Vladimir Kara-Murza join Andrea-Kendall Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss recent anti-democratic developments in Russian politics and U.S.-Russia relations. McFaul is a former U.S. ambassador to Russia and senior director for Russian and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council. He is currently a professor and Hoover Institution fellow at Stanford University. Kara-Murza is a Russian democracy activist, politician, author and filmmaker. He currently serves as chairman of the Boris Nemtsov Foundation for Freedom and vice president of the Free Russia Foundation.​

Defense Priorities in a New Administration, with Michèle Flournoy

Michèle Flournoy joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how a Biden administration can work with NATO to confront transnational threats. Flournoy has been a leader in defense policy under several administrations, including as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from 2009 to 2012. She is the managing partner of WestExec Advisors and former co-founder of the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).