As the most populated country in the European Union, with the largest economy, there is no doubt that German influence plays a significant role in the overall direction that EU policy takes. With its historical Ostpolitik being quite friendly towards Russia and being one of the countries most reliant on Russian energy, how Germany has reacted and will react to the war in Ukraine is of major importance to how European support for Ukraine will manifest. The outcome of the war will be of major importance to every European, and it is therefore vital to understand Germany’s foreign and security policy in times of the war in Ukraine.
In this discussion, panelists Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff (Vice President and Executive Director of the Berlin Office at the German Marshall Fund), Erik Brattberg, (Senior Vice President, Albright Stonebridge Group, Part of Debrons Global Advisors), Amb Christian Helt (German Ambassador to Latvia) and Tobias Winkler (Member of the German Bundestag) discuss:
-8 months since Zeitenwende
-Has Germany done enough? What could be improved?
-Can Germany take up the mantle of leading Europe through the war?
-Has German foreign policy truly gone in a different direction?
-What should Germany do in the near future?
Moderator: Pauls Raudseps, Journalist, Chairman of the Board at the Cits Medijs
00:00 Introducing the topic & panelists
5:40 What has Germany done right/wrong since February 24th?
9:06 What should Germany do differently in the coming years/months when it comes to security and foreign policy?
10:55 Has Germany done better than its reputation?
17:15 German military aid to Ukraine – is it working well enough?
23:35 Washington’s perspective
28:00 Can Germany take up the mantle of a strategic leader in Europe?
34:35 Holding the right people accountable for the failures of German foreign policy
43:30 Audience questions begin
46:35 When the next crisis comes, will Germany need to be convinced again to help from the start of it?
49:40 The German approach towards China, implications for the wider world
59:25 Avoiding scapegoating Germany
1:00:25 Why should countries in the Indo-Pacific care about the war in Ukraine?
1:02:00 Ramping up the defense industry in Europe