Brussels Sprouts

Senior fellow at the Hoover Institution and at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Dr. Larry Diamond joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss the health of global democracy and his latest book, Ill Winds: Saving Democracy from Russian Rage, Chinese Ambition, and American Complacency. Dr. Diamond discusses the electoral, institutional, and geopolitical threats to the world’s democracies and what solutions the United States, Europe, and their allies can forward to bolster against authoritarian states’ resurgence.

Dr. Steven A. Cook, Council on Foreign Relations Eni Enrico Mattei Senior Fellow for Middle East and Africa Studies, joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche for a discussion on the latest rerun of the Istanbul mayoral election. A decade of divisive AKP politics has turned Erdogan’s ‘stronghold’ of Istanbul against him, but his personalist regime is far from collapse. Going forward, Erdogan and the AKP will try to box in opposition urban mayors and retain as tight a grip on national-level politics as possible.

Dr. Brian D. Taylor, Chair of the Political Science Department at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor for a discussion about his book, The Code of Putinism. Russia’s institutions are generally weak, and authority resides within various circles and factions of actors, all secondary to the man at the top. Putinism is less an ideology than a code for staying in Vladimir Putin’s good graces, administering authority over the largest country on earth, and maintaining a grip on power in a nation whose economy continues to stagnate. This episode also tackles the question of succession and what Russian politics, and Vladimir Putin’s place in it, might look like after 2024.

Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, Kathimerini and Skai TV Washington Correspondent Katerina Sokou joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Carisa Nietsche to discuss the snap Greek elections set for July. PM Alexis Tsipras’ Syriza rode a left-wing populist surge in 2015 but has since stepped back from electoral promises and commitments. The Greek public responded by treating the latest EU parliamentary elections as a referendum on Tsipras’ government, forcing him to call an early election after Syriza came in behind the New Democracy party. Nonetheless, with Golden Dawn losing all but two if its EU parliament seats, Tsipras losing his coalition partner over the Prespas Agreement, and New Democracy surging in the polls, Greek politics are far from being settled.

Dr. John A. Gans, Jr., joins Jim Townsend and Carisa Nietsche to discuss his recent book "White House Warriors: How the National Security Council has Transformed the American Way of War." Dr. Gans discusses his experiences both researching and interacting with the NSC, its staff, and its wider impact as a ‘wartime’ NSC since 9/11. We conclude with a discussion about the concept of the NSC as an honest broker and whether it functions more effectively as an instrument of presidential administrations or as a mediator between the White House and other institutions that shape U.S. national security.

CNAS Adjunct Senior Fellow Elsa B. Kania joins Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Rachel Rizzo to discuss 5G technology and its implications for transatlantic security. Elsa B. Kania broadly explains 5G, how it will affect societies’ economic futures, and the current state of the ‘race’ to adopt next generation networks. They also discuss Huawei, the support it receives from the Chinese government, and the advantages it gives back—as well as whether Huawei is actually as far ahead of its competition as it has touted in the past.

Dr. Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Rachel Rizzo are joined by recent George Washington University Elliot School of International Affairs graduates Zlata Gogoleva, Rachel Long, and Sydney Simon to discuss their capstone project, studying Chinese and Russian media, investment, and political influence in the Balkan region. Their project focused on identifying the methods and techniques Chinese and Russian actors use to integrate into the Balkan economies, the targets they seek to influence, and how European and American actors might counteract those influences. While Russia is interested in keeping Balkans within its sphere of influence in the short-term, China is preparing the groundwork for a long-term economic and political strategy—whether the two will work in concert or compete has yet to be determined.

Latvian Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Rachel Rizzo to discuss the future of transatlantic, European, and Latvian security in an age of growing foreign influence, political fragmentation, and coordinated propaganda. Minister Pabriks says the Baltic states have long served as a litmus test for Russian foreign influence campaigns, and the United States and European allies should look to Latvia’s experience in combating various electoral and media manipulation strategies.

Dan Kliman joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend to discuss the evolving nature of China’s relationship with Europe, how the Belt-and-Road Initiative is challenging the Transatlantic Partnership, and what the United States and NATO allies can do to counteract its regional and global influence. Dr. Kliman explains how China is dividing Europe and undercutting the crucial cohesion the continent will require to challenge China’s rise as an economic and strategic competitor. 5G is just one component in China’s drive to change the international model, legitimize autocracy, and put democracies on their back feet.​​

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.