Brussels Sprouts

As NATO prepares for its annual summit in Vilnius this July, one of the biggest topics on the agenda will be how to guarantee long-term security for Ukraine. Given that membership in the alliance is unrealistic before the end of active fighting with Russia, the West will need to find an alternative arrangement that allows Ukraine to remain secure in the interim. While there is no consensus yet on what such an arrangement might look like, numerous proposals have emerged in recent months—including from both of our guests on today’s episode. To discuss their ideas for what it will take to guarantee Ukraine’s security as well as the future of Western support for Kyiv more broadly, Liana Fix and Eric Ciaramella join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts. Liana Fix is a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a historian and political scientist, with expertise in German and European foreign and security policy, European security, transatlantic relatio

Last weekend, the outbreak of an insurgency against the Russian state by Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner Group shocked observers across the world. After accusing the Russian Ministry of Defense of having attacked Wagner troops on Friday, Prigozhin vowed to retaliate and proceeded to lead his forces into Russia, seizing the city of Rostov-on-Don and coming within 200 kilometers of Moscow. While the insurgency came to an abrupt end on Saturday with the announcement of a deal brokered by Belarusian President Aleksandr Luksahenko, its implications for the future political stability of Russia are likely to be profound. After facing the greatest threat to his rule since taking office 23 years ago, how secure is Vladimir Putin’s hold on power, and how is he likely to respond going forward? To discuss all of this and more, we’re happy to have Angela Stent with us on the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts. Angela Stent is a professor emerita of government and foreign service at Georgetown University as well as a nonresiden

Over the weekend, infighting between Prigozhin and Shoigu led to seismic shifts in Russian domestic stability. This episode was recorded on Friday, June 23, prior to start of the Wagner Group’s insurgency within Russia. The implications of Wagner’s armed rebellion remain uncertain. This Brussels Sprouts, released in conjunction with the launch of the CNAS Russia Stability Tracker, focuses on the broader context of Russian domestic stability. As the war in Ukraine continues and elite fissures begin to emerge, Catherine Belton and Arkady Ostrovksy join the conversation to discuss Putin’s hold on power, and how we might expect Russian domestic dynamics to evolve moving forward. Catherine Belton reports on Russia for The Washington Post. She is the author of Putin’s People: How the KGB Took Back Russia and Then Took On the West. Arkady Ostrovsky is the Russia and eastern Europe editor for The Economist. He is the author of The Invention of Russia: The Journey from Gorbachev’s Freedom to Putin’s War and The Invent

Three weeks ago, Ukraine began its widely anticipated counteroffensive. Observers are watching for key developments on the battlefield as Ukraine attempts to regain territory, which is unfolding slower than hoped. Mike Kofman and Konrad Muzyka join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how the conflict will likely evolve and what it means for Western resolve on the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts. Mike Kofman is the Research Program Director in the Russia Studies Program at CNA as well as an Adjunct Senior Fellow at CNAS. His research focuses on Russia and the former Soviet Union, specializing in Russian armed forces, military thought, capabilities, and strategy. Konrad Muzyka is the Director of Rochan Consulting and an independent defense analyst. He provides consultancy and advisory services on the Russian and Belarusian Armed Forces.

On Wednesday, June 14th, the German government presented the country’s first ever National Security Strategy, laying out Germany’s commitment to three key pillars: active defense, resilience, and sustainability. Following Scholz’s “Zeitenwende” paradigm shift, experts wonder whether Germany is ready to assume a more prominent role in the Euro-Atlantic security architecture. In the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts, Christian Mölling and Constanze Stelzenmüller join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the future of Germany’s security landscape. Christian Mölling is deputy director of the Research Institute and head of the Center for Security and Defense at the German Council on Foreign Relations. He is an expert on German defense policy, European security, and NATO. Constanze Stelzenmüller is an expert on German, European, and trans-Atlantic foreign and security policy and strategy. She is the director of the Center on the United States and Europe and the inaugural holder of the Fritz Stern Chai

In this special episode marking the podcast’s 5-year anniversary, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and U.S. Ambassador to NATO Julianne Smith join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend for a conversation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the ongoing response to the war from NATO allies, lessons learned from the conflict, and the future of the alliance. Jens Stoltenberg became NATO Secretary General in October 2014, following a distinguished international and domestic career. As a former Prime Minister of Norway and UN Special Envoy, Mr. Stoltenberg has been a strong supporter of greater global and transatlantic cooperation. Mr. Stoltenberg’s mandate as NATO Secretary General has been extended until the end of September 2023. Ambassador Julianne Smith assumed her position as the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO in November 2021. Prior to her current position, she served as a Senior Advisor to Secretary Blinken at the Department of State. Previously, she served as the Director of the Asia and Geo

On May 30-31, the fourth ministerial meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council was held in Luleå, Sweden. All eyes were on this meeting, after previous ministerials failed to produce concrete results due to fissures in transatlantic industrial policy. Items on the agenda for Luleå included artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and new initiatives for green transitions. To discuss the key takeaways from this latest TTC meeting, Fran Burwell and Tyson Barker join Carisa Nietsche and Jim Townsend in the latest episode of Brussels Sprouts. Frances G. Burwell is a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center and a senior director at McLarty Associates. Tyson Barker is a senior advisor for the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. He previously served as the head of the Technology and Global Affairs program at the German Council on Foreign Relations

The trajectory of the war in Ukraine hinges on the outcome of the widely anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. Recent events spell trouble for Russia as Pro-Ukrainian Russian fighters launched attacks on Russian soil in Belgorod this week and the United States promised to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets. With battlefield developments shifting daily, the future of the war in Ukraine remains uncertain. To discuss how all of this impacts the Ukrainian war effort, we are pleased to welcome Gustav Gressel to the podcast. Gustav Gressel is a senior policy fellow with the Wider Europe Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations. His topics of focus include Russia, Eastern Europe, and defense policy.

Turkey’s presidential election is headed to a second round after no candidate won an outright majority on May 14. Ahead of the rematch between current President Erdoğan and opposition leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu on May 28, many observers are wondering what the results could mean for the future of Turkish democracy, society, and foreign policy. Steven Cook and Aslı Aydıntaşbaş join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts to discuss the implications of the Turkish presidential race. Steven Cook is the Eni Enrico Mattei senior fellow for Middle East and Africa studies and director of the International Affairs Fellowship for Tenured International Relations Scholars at the Council on Foreign Relations. Aslı Aydıntaşbaş is a visiting fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution, as well as a Global Opinions columnist at The Washington Post and a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

In July, NATO will host its annual summit in Vilnius to discuss the path forward for the European security architecture. NATO Allies have provided critical support to Kyiv ahead of its much-anticipated counteroffensive. However, there are increased calls for more decisive action by NATO. Alexander Vershbow and Ian Brzezinski join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss their latest Atlantic Council memo laying out new recommendations for NATO’s defense and deterrence posture.   Alexander Vershbow is a distinguished fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and Eurasia Center. He previously served as the deputy secretary general of NATO, U.S. assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, and US ambassador to Russia.   Ian Brzezinski is a resident senior fellow with the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security and is a member of the Atlantic Council’s Strategic Advisors Group. He has more than two decades of experience in US national security

While transatlantic partners remain supportive of Ukraine, there are questions about the success of the much-anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive. Many Western leaders harbor doubts about how a protracted war could impact the future of transatlantic support of Ukraine. In this context, how will the Ukrainian counteroffensive shape the future trajectory both of the battlefield and transatlantic unity? Michael Kofman joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss all of this and more.   Michael Kofman is the Research Program Director of the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses and an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security.

Macron's comments on strategic autonomy and Europe's role on Taiwan have sparked criticism amongst transatlantic partners. While the Biden administration and some European Union officials have downplayed the comments, questions remain over whether Macron's views reflect larger European attitudes on the future of the transatlantic partnership.  Liana Fix is a fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. She is a historian and political scientist, with expertise in German and European foreign and security policy, European security, transatlantic relations, Russia, and Eastern Europe. Tara Varma is a visiting fellow in the Center for the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution. She focuses on French defense and security policy in the European framework, as well as ongoing efforts to materialize European sovereignty.

Following the release of the book, Evaluating NATO Enlargement: From Cold War Victory to the Russia-Ukraine War, we are discussing NATO enlargement from a historical perspective. The editors, Joshua Shifrinson and James Goldgeier, join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to evaluate the impacts of post-Cold War NATO enlargement on Russia’s war on Ukraine. Josh Shifrinson is an associate professor for the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland. He is an expert on contemporary international security as it relates to great power politics, U.S. foreign policy, and diplomatic history. James Goldgeier is a professor for the School of International Service at American University. He is a visiting scholar at Stanford University’s center on International Security and Cooperation as well as a visiting fellow for the Center on the United States and Europe at the Brookings Institution.

As Russia has become increasingly isolated on the international stage following its invasion of Ukraine last February, it has sought to deepen its ties with remaining partners such as China. While Beijing has so far provided only limited support to Moscow over the past year, reports that it may be considering sending lethal aid to bolster the Russian war effort suggest a potential inflection point in the relationship. This special edition of Brussels Sprouts includes a recording of a live CNAS event from Wednesday, March 29th. The discussion features a panel of experts to discuss the deepening relationship between Russia and China. Yusuke Anami is a professor of Modern Chinese Political History and Contemporary Chinese Politics at Tohoku University. Bonnie Glaser is the managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund. Dmitry Gorenburg is a senior research scientist of Russia studies at the Center for Naval Analyses. Richard Weitz is the senior fellow and director of the Center for Po

What do the visits to the White House by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz mean for the transatlantic partnership? Max Bergmann and David Kleimann join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the issues facing the transatlantic partnership today. Max Bergmann is the director of the Europe Program and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. David Kleimann is a visiting fellow at Bruegel, where he focuses on the climate and trade policy nexus as well as legal and diplomatic challenges arising from transatlantic and international climate and trade cooperation.

How should we assess the state of democracy around the world today? Larry Diamond and Sheri Berman join Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, and Carisa Nietsche to discuss the signs of democratic revitalization across the globe. Larry Diamond is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Mosbacher Senior Fellow in Global Democracy at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University. Sheri Berman is a professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University. Her research interests include European history and politics; the development of democracy; populism and fascism; and the history of the left.

As we pass the one-year anniversary of Russia’s war in Ukraine, numerous factors such as the Russian military’s poor performance, Putin’s botched mobilization, mounting casualties, economic challenges resulting from sanctions and export controls, and increasingly visible elite fissures are raising questions about the political stability of the Russian regime. This special edition of Brussels Sprouts includes a recording of a live CNAS event from Thursday, March 2nd. We dive into all of this and more during a conversation with a group of the leading scholars on Putin and authoritarianism. This conversation builds on our recently released Russian stability tracker, which you can find on the CNAS website. Dr. Timothy Frye is the Marshall D. Shulman Professor of Post-Soviet Policy at Columbia University, where he researches comparative politics and the political economy focusing on the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Dr. Marlene Laruelle is the Director for the Institute of European, Russian, and Eurasian

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the reality is setting in that we are facing a drawn out and protracted conflict. Both the United States and Europe are grappling with this reality, and it is likely that Russia is grappling with this reality as well. This special edition of Brussels Sprouts includes a recording of a live CNAS event from Wednesday, February 22nd. The first half of the discussion will feature a panel looking at the battlefield dynamics in Ukraine, including what we should expect and what Ukraine requires to restore its borders and its sovereignty. A second panel will then dive into the nature of ongoing Western support, including views from Europe and the United States. Jeff Edmonds is a Research Scientist with the Center for Naval Analyses’ (CNA) Russia Studies Program and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at CNAS. His research focuses on the Russian military, foreign policy, Russian threat perceptions, and Russian information and cyber operations. Rob Lee is

Over the past year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has reinvigorated NATO, with the presence of major war on the European continent highlighting the alliance’s importance for collective defense. While NATO is not directly involved in the conflict, it has assumed a leading role in both coordinating aid to Ukraine and strengthening Europe’s deterrence posture. Benedetta Berti and David Cattler join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss how NATO is confronting this fundamentally altered security environment. Benedetta Berti is the Head of Policy Planning in the office of the Secretary General of NATO. She is a foreign policy and security researcher, analyst, consultant, author, and lecturer. David Cattler is NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence and Security. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary General he was a senior national and defense intelligence official of the United States.

To continue our “New Year” series on Brussels Sprouts, we turn to the state of transatlantic relations going into 2023. The past year has demanded extensive coordination between the United States and Europe in responding to Russia’s war against Ukraine, acting as a stress test for the strength of the transatlantic relationship. So far, unity has largely held, though Germany’s recent hesitation to send tanks to Ukraine and persistent tensions in the economic domain continue to challenge the relationship. Wolfgang Ischinger and Sophia Besch join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss these recent developments in transatlantic relations from a German perspective. Wolfgang Ischinger is the former chairman of the Munich Security Conference. He also previously served in the German government as State Secretary and Ambassador to the United States. Sophia Besch is a fellow in the Europe Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Her area of expertise is European defense policy.