Section: The German Marshall Fund of the United States (USA)
Revolutions of Dignity: 1989, the Arab Spring, and Ukraine
The German Marshall Fund of the United States’ (GMF) Young Transatlantic Network (YTN) represents a generation that has grown up in a world where Germany is united, the Iron Curtain has fallen, the Soviet and Yugoslav and Czechoslovak unions are a part of history, and the European Union and NATO have expanded to include most of the European...
The G7 Needs to Commit to Supporting Ukraine
BERLIN—When G7 leaders meet for their annual summit in Germany this weekend, for a second year without Russia, President Vladimir Putin’s aggression against Ukraine will rank high on their agenda. Though questions of war and peace may seem misplaced in what is, essentially, an economic policy forum, the escalation in Eastern Europe, and the...
Trans-Atlantic Ties: It’s Time To Rebuild Trust
The trans-Atlantic relationship — with the US-German partnership at its core — is more important than ever in a world which is rapidly changing and braving urgent economic and security challenges. That basic premise explains why Chancellor Merkel refers to the United States as Germany’s indispensable ally and President Obama...
A New Religious “Cold War”?
WASHINGTON—In March 2014, at the time of Russia’s takeover of Crimea, a largely unnoticed meeting took place in Istanbul. The heads of the Eastern Orthodox churches convened under the leadership of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, the Istanbul-based primus inter pares of the Eastern Orthodox world, and announced that in 2016 it would hold...
Does Putin Have to Escalate to Survive?
Every week, a selection of leading experts answer a new question from Judy Dempsey on the foreign and security policy challenges shaping Europe’s role in the world. Joerg Forbrig – Transatlantic fellow for Central and Eastern Europe at the German Marshall Fund of the United States Systemically, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s...
The Transatlantic Division of Labor: A Washington Perspective
Over six years ago, U.S. President Barack Obama came into office with a firm conviction that the United States needed to revitalize its alliances and renew its core security relationships around the world. That is why one of the most important tenets of his foreign policy has been to build strong partners. The Obama administration’s 2015...
Why an EU-Turkey Customs Union Upgrade is Good for Turkey
Introduction The European Union (EU) and the Turkish government have decided to work toward upgrading their Customs Union.[1] The decision comes at a time when two major U.S.-led projects, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), are slowly but surely progressing. The Obama administration...
The Indispensable Partner? Turkey in the Evolving Triangulation with the United States and Europe
Introduction Despite recent questions surrounding its allegiance to Western defense, and the continuing cynicism accompanying an elusive EU membership quest, Turkey remains in important respects an indispensable partner of the United States and the EU in a strategically relevant region. Discussions at the 11th meeting of the Trilateral Strategy...
How to Counter Russia’s Anti-Democratic Strategy
BERLIN—At a summit last week in Latvia, the European Union and the countries of the Eastern Partnership reiterated that democracy is essential for a closer political and economic association. The joint declaration issued by the EU members and Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, and Ukraine avoided any specific mention of Russia. But...
POLITICO Brussels Playbook — Dinner with David — Lunch with Nigel — Fightin’ Finns?
RIGA REVIEWED: Daniela Schwarzer of the German Marshall Fund offers this assessment for Playbook readers of the Eastern Partnership Summit, which ended Friday night: “The Summit reaffirmed the Eastern Partnership as the EU’s framework for its policy towards the six countries. Anything else would have been a symbolic surrender to...
