Brussels Sprouts

Dr. Angela Stent, Director of the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies at Georgetown University, provides an answer to the oft-asked question: what does Putin want? She weighs in on all things Russia, including whether Putin will accept junior partner status in Russia’s partnership with China. She also takes us beyond problems and identifies policy solutions for how the United States should move forward with Russia.

Edward Lucas, Senior Vice President at the Center for European Policy Analysis, joins Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss trends in European security, the future of populism in Europe, and emerging threats facing Europe. Lucas also focused his attention on the rise of China, including the role China will play in the transatlantic relationship and his take on Russian-Chinese cooperation.

Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Rachel Rizzo take Brussels Sprouts on the road in this special edition of the podcast recorded “live” from the April 3rd NATO Engages conference hosted by the Atlantic Council, German Marshall Fund, and Munich Security Conference. This special episode shares the insights of some of the most prominent voices on transatlantic relations. Experts shared with us their thoughts on whether the alliance is in crisis, the most critical challenges facing NATO, and why they’re optimistic about NATO’s future. This episode features commentary (in order of appearance) from:
· Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius
· Stanislava Mladenova, a former member of the NATO international staff
· Dr. Jim Goldgeier, Visiting Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations
· Damir Marusic, Executive Editor of The American Interest
· Ambassador Sorin Ducaru, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute and Former Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges at NATO
· Ambassador Sandy Vershbow, former Deputy Secretary General of NATO and former U.S. Ambassador to Russia
· Benjamin Haddad, Director of the Future Europe Initiative at the Atlantic Council
· Dr. Tom Wright, Director of the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution
· Ambassador Doug Lute, former U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO and a Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs
· Dr. Constanze Stelzenmüller, Robert Bosch Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution
· Rachel Hoff, Policy Director at the Ronald Reagan Institute
· Dr. Gale Mattox, a Professor at the U.S. Naval Academy and Director of the Foreign & Domestic Policy Program at the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies
· Karlijn Jans, a Dutch defense expert
· Camille Grand, Assistant Secretary General for Defense Investment at NATO
· Ambassador Azita Raji, former U.S. Ambassador to Sweden

Minister Jüri Luik, the Estonian Minister of Defense, joins Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Rachel Rizzo to discuss Baltic security, NATO, and Russia.

Dr. Amanda Sloat, Robert Bosch Senior Fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution, joins Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Rachel Rizzo to discuss the latest Brexit developments.

Dr. Claudia Major, a Senior Associate in the International Security Division at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, joins Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss European and German defense policy.

Josef Janning, Senior Policy Fellow and Head of ECFR Berlin, joins Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the future of the transatlantic relationship, U.S.-German relations, and the European Union.

Deputy Prime Minister Radmila Šekerinska, Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, joins Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Rachel Rizzo to discuss the Prespa Agreement and North Macedonia’s future role in NATO and the EU.

Benjamin Haddad, Director of the Future Europe Initiative at the Atlantic Council, joins Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Rachel Rizzo to discuss France’s Yellow Vest movement.

Andrew Weiss, James Family Chair and Vice President for Studies at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss Russian domestic politics, Putin’s future aims, the Russia-China relationship, and the INF Treaty.