On April 9th, Friedrich Merz, the leader of Germany’s center-right Christian Democratic Union, secured a coalition agreement with the Social Democrats following his party’s victory in the federal elections. In early May, the Bundestag is expected to convene and elect him as the next Chancellor. One of the most significant initiatives of this new government is likely to be a historic overhaul of Germany’s defense posture.
To discuss this and more, we’re pleased to welcome Claudia Major and Christian Mölling to discuss Germany's new government and defense strategy.
Claudia Major is the Senior Vice President of Transatlantic Security at the German Marshall Fund
Christian Mölling is a Senior Advisor at the European Policy Centre
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57:17
The Hidden Past and Uncertain Future of the U.S. and Ukraine with Celeste Wallander
Under the Trump administration, U.S. support for Ukraine is no longer guaranteed. President Trump's pause on aid and intelligence to Ukraine in March may have been brief, but it sent a clear message to Europe and Ukraine that the U.S. may no longer be a reliable partner for Ukraine. A reduction or end to U.S. support for Ukraine could have a significant impact on the conflict dynamics in Ukraine and present a challenge for European allies as to whether they can step up and fill the gap.
Celeste Wallander joins the podcast to provide a firsthand account of the evolution of U.S. assistance to Ukraine and to discuss how a united Europe can help Kyiv keep up the fight.
Celeste Wallander was the assistant secretary of defense for International Security Affairs and is a adjunct senior fellow at CNAS.
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1:04:36
Europe's Trade War Woes
On April 2nd, President Trump imposed sweeping tariffs across the globe – with only a handful of countries left untouched. The EU was hit with tariffs of 20% and the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promised a ‘united response’ and stated a willingness to retaliate. As the U.S.’s biggest trading partner, any actions taken by the EU in response to the tariffs could have a significant impact on both sides of the Atlantic.
To help us understand where we go from here, we are pleased to welcome Dan Mullaney and Tobias Gehrke.
Dan Mullaney is the former assistant U.S. trade representative for Europe and the Middle East and is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.
Tobias Gehrke is a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations whose research covers geoeconomics and European Economic Strategy.
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1:02:00
Turkey’s Democratic Downturn
Turkish democracy has come under fresh assault as the Erdoğan government arrested the leader of Turkey's largest opposition party and the mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and issued arrest warrants for more than 100 others. Concurrent with Turkey’s domestic turmoil, Ankara is looking to play a more prominent geopolitical role, both in Syria and in Europe, especially as the US pulls back from the European theater. Soner Çağaptay and Aslı Aydıntasbas join Brussels Sprouts this week to discuss these developments.
Aslı Aydıntaşbaş is a visiting fellow at the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings.
Soner Çağaptay is the director of the Turkish Research Program at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
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52:11
How America Wages Economic Warfare with Eddie Fishman
The last two decades have marked a revolution in economic warfare. As the United States has increasingly sought to weaponize the global economy against its adversaries, the world has become fractured into competing blocks, resulting in an economic arms race among major powers. This is the argument made by Eddie Fishman in his new book, Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare. The book tells the story of how the US wielded its economic tools, ranging from sanctions, export controls, investment restrictions, and oil price caps, to address the pressing global security challenges stemming from Iran, Russia, and China. It’s the story of how the world economy became a new frontier of warfare. This week, we’re pleased to welcome Edward Fishman to discuss his new book and how it informs the issues facing us today.
Edward Fishman is an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, senior research scholar for the Center for Global Energy Policy, and an adjunct professor of international and global affairs at Columbia University
Small bites on Transatlantic Security, NATO, the EU, Russia, and all things Europe. Hosted by Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend at the Center for a New American Security.
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