Germany and Russia have to accept that they have different interests but also that they cannot ignore each other
Relations between Germany and Russia have always been fundamental for (peace and stability) Europe — whether in a negative way, for example remembering the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact on the eve of the Second World War, or in a positive way, as in the management of German unification, the end of the Soviet Union and the eastern enlargement of the EU. With US support, Germany was key to the...
On May 3–4, 2018, Lisbon (Portugal) held a meeting of the Lisbon Club — an international community of statesmen, international scholars, famous journalists, and business representatives.
On May 3–4, 2018, Lisbon (Portugal) held a meeting of the Lisbon Club — an international community of statesmen, international scholars, famous journalists, and business representatives.
President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa started the meeting with opening remarks. In this speech, the Head of State touched...
Foreign viewpoints
After the reelection of Vladimir Putin for another term as president of the Russian Federation in March of this year, Russia is entering a new cycle of foreign and domestic policy. Russia's foreign policy at the moment is particularly fraught; the conflict in Syria, the continued uncertain status of the Donbass region of Ukraine, accusations of cyberwarfare and interference in US elections, and the Skripal poisoning incident in the UK have driven wedges between Russia and many...
... number of internal causes underlay each such revolution, namely, weakened institutions, corruption, impoverished populace, and a government unwilling or unable to address mounting problems. Given such circumstances, the growing, prosperous, and stable European Union was inevitably turning into an attractive aspiration. The deeper and longer the archaization of the new states went on, the more attractive the European integration project became. Not surprisingly, social protest against degradation and ...
... Ukrainian crisis, no ‘business as usual’ is possible in any foreseeable future; Moscow and Berlin continue to sharply disagree on many critically important international matters. Germany is and will always be a disciplined member of NATO and that of the European Union; it will not take any initiatives that might look risky, inappropriate or untimely to other members of these organizations. To cut it short, there are absolutely no reasons to hope for any breakthrough in the German-Russian relations just ...
The road to Moscow does not lead through Berlin alone, but also through Brussels
Relations between Germany and Russia are in a state of severe crisis. At latest since the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, but also even before, the relationship was under stress. The new federal government will have to face the challenge of finding ways to deal with the root causes of the crisis. The intuitive response in this situation would be to take steps for improving bilateral relations and to find a way out...
... cooperation clearly survived the “no business as usual” pattern. In sum, it seems that the European-Russian divergence since 2014 has not yet reached the point of no return and nothing is already predetermined for years and decades to come.
Today both the European Union and Russia appear to be moving targets, with many uncertainties about their respective development trajectories. The challenge for EU is to overcome multiple crises it confronts today — repercussions of Brexit, the rise of right populism,...
... April 19–20 Rome hosted a seminar on challenges posed by the unprecedented refugee and migration crisis, and opportunities for cooperation between the EU and Russia to address them, organized jointly by Russian International Council, Delegation of the European Union to Russia, and Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI).
On April 19–20 Rome hosted a seminar on challenges posed by the unprecedented refugee and migration crisis, and opportunities for cooperation between the EU and Russia to address ...
The participants discussed the foreign policy of Germany and the EU, the current state of relations between Russia and the West, arms control issues, and nuclear safety.
On April 15-18, 2018, Berlin hosted the 8th YGNL (
Younger Generation Leaders Network on Euro-Atlantic Security
) meeting on Euro-Atlantic Security.
The participants discussed the foreign policy of Germany and the EU, the current state of relations between Russia and the West, arms control issues, and nuclear safety.
Young experts...
There are also ‘icons’ among the target countries that have more or less adapted to life under long-term sanctions rather than abandoning policies. Iran, one such target country, has unparalleled experience of living under sanctions
The history of sanctions against Iran deserves close analysis in light of the growing sanctions pressure on Russia. Although Iran and Russia are different countries facing different sanctions paradigms, Iran’s experience is meaningful if only because both countries...
