During the past two years, the world has seen the eruption of two major conflicts in two different regions. In Europe, Russia has launched a war of aggression against Ukraine in an attempt to reclaim a sphere of influence, while in the Middle East, Iran’s longstanding policy of enabling proxies including Hamas has resulted in a major war in Gaza and widespread violence throughout the region. In the meantime, tensions continue to simmer in East Asia, where China’s ambitions of primacy have stoked fears of a potential future conflict over Taiwan. While these three regional competitions may seem separate, they are in reality becoming increasingly interconnected as ties among Eurasia’s revisionist powers become stronger—a dynamic similar to that observed in the prelude to World War II. What lessons should we draw from the past as we attempt to make sense of today’s global turmoil and its implications for the future? Hal Brands joins the podcast to discuss all of this and more.

Hal Brands is the Henry A. Kissinger Distinguished Professor of Global Affairs at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

In March of 2024, Russia will hold a presidential election. While Vladimir Putin is nearly certain to win another term in office given the Kremlin’s efforts to control the outcome and repress the opposition, it is far from certain how domestic dynamics in the country more broadly will play out in the months and years to come. As we approach the two-year anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, how is the Russian public viewing the war, how is Putin exploiting the conflict domestically, and what might be the potential risks to regime stability going forward? Graeme Robertson and Sam Greene joined the podcast to discuss all of this and more.

Graeme Robertson is a Professor of Political Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Director of the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies.

Sam Greene is the Director for Democratic Resilience at the Center for European Policy Analysis and a Professor of Russian Politics at King's College London. 

This week’s Brussels Sprouts discusses expectations for Russia in the pivotal year ahead. As we approach the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine this February, how is the Kremlin viewing prospects for success going forward and the West’s capacity to sustain its support? Moreover, what is the potential impact of further instability in the Middle East, and how will Russia cultivate its relationships with China, Iran, and North Korea in 2024? With the upcoming elections in both Russia and the U.S., moreover, there is also much to consider regarding Putin’s domestic hold on power and the implications of American results for Russia. To address all of this and more, we’re pleased to have Fiona Hill with us on the podcast.

Fiona Hill is a senior fellow in the Center on the United States and Europe within the Foreign Policy program at the Brookings Institution. She also holds the position of chancellor at Durham University in the United Kingdom and was recently elected to the Harvard University Board of Overseers. 

On this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts, we are setting out to identify some of the big-picture trends shaping the transatlantic relationship and international affairs more broadly. As we look ahead to 2024, what are the biggest challenges facing the United States, Europe, and the world at-large, and what opportunities do policymakers have to address these challenges? To help us get a better sense of what to expect in the year ahead, Richard Fontaine and Michèle Flournoy join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on the podcast.

Richard Fontaine is the Chief Executive Officer of the Center for a New American Security. Prior to coming to CNAS, he was foreign policy advisor to Senator John McCain and worked at the State Department, the National Security Council, and on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 

Michèle Flournoy is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WestExec Advisors, and former Co- Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CNAS, where she currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors. She also served as the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy from February 2009 to February 2012.

Since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas this past fall, many have feared the possibility that the fighting could metastasize into a broader regional conflict. Such fears have only grown in recent weeks, as violence has risen across the Middle East. With increasing regional turbulence, the United States and Europe will face mounting pressure to take actions geared towards restabilization, complicating their ability to devote resources to other ongoing challenges such as the war in Ukraine. To unpack recent events and their likely implications for the transatlantic partners, Jon Alterman joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Jon Alterman is a senior vice president, holds the Zbigniew Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, and is director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

As we enter 2024, one of the biggest issues likely to face transatlantic partners is the rise of far-right parties in Europe, which have recently gained significant electoral support in countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and Sweden. After strong showings several years ago, these parties seemingly receded into the background as the leaders of more traditional parties steered Europe through major crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. As we observe the far-right become more prominent in the political mainstream, what are the reasons behind this trend, and what are its likely implications for Europe going forward? To tackle these crucial questions, Catherine Fieschi and Erik Jones join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Catherine Fieschi is a leading European political analyst and a Fellow of the Robert Schuman Centre in Florence

Erik Jones is the Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute

As 2023 came to a close, many people began to characterize the war in Ukraine as a stalemate. Though it is true that very little has recently changed along the front lines and that neither side will be able to make a breakthrough, this label is misleading. Indeed, as 2024 takes hold both Moscow and Kyiv are working to rebuild their offensive capacity. Developments this year regarding both sides’ access to munitions, capacity to train fighters, and the extent of casualties in the war will be critical in shaping the conflict’s long-term trajectory. As such, 2024 is likely to be a decisive year for the war in Ukraine. To discuss where things stand and where they could go, Michael Kofman and Shashank Joshi join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Mike Kofman is a senior fellow in the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where he focuses on the Russian military and Eurasian security issues.

Shashank Joshi is the Defense Editor at The Economist and a Visiting Fellow at The Department of War Studies at King’s College London

At last week’s European Council summit, EU heads of state and government agreed to begin accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova as well as to grant candidate status to Georgia. These historic decisions demonstrate the new momentum in the European Union’s enlargement process following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which has forced the bloc to think more strategically about integrating its neighbors to the east. But while enlargement may be back on the political agenda, there are many obstacles in its way, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, the need for substantial political reforms in candidate countries, and the need for the European Union to reform its own institutions to be able to welcome new members. As we look towards what is sure to be a long and difficult process, what are the true prospects for enlargement’s success, and what will need to happen before a new set of member states can join the European Union? To discuss all of this and more Veronica Anghel and Engjellushe Morina join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Nick Lokker on this episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Veronica Anghel is a Lecturer at SAIS Europe and a Visiting Fellow in the Robert Schuman Center at the European University Institute.

Engjellushe Morina is a senior policy fellow with the Wider Europe Program at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

On November 29, former U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger died at the age of 100. With a long career spanning many decades as both a scholar and a statesman, Kissinger leaves behind a controversial legacy. While many have celebrated his success in resolutely pursuing U.S. global interests, others have denounced Kissinger’s apparent disregard for values such as human rights. To unpack Kissinger’s immense and complicated impact on both the United States and the world, David Sanger and Stephen Sestanovich join Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

David Sanger is the White House and National Security Correspondent for The New York Times, reporting on President Biden and his administration, with a particular focus on foreign policy and its intersection with technology, politics, and superpower conflict.

Stephen Sestanovich is the George F. Kennan senior fellow for Russian and Eurasian studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis professor of international diplomacy at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. He is the author of Maximalist: America in the World from Truman to Obama, published by Knopf in February 2014.

As winter approaches and territorial changes along the frontlines in Ukraine continue to be minimal, the realization is setting in that a long war likely lies ahead. To continue to defend itself against Russia’s aggression in the months and years to come, Kyiv will need the full support of its Western backers. Yet continued aid from the United States—Ukraine’s largest provider of weapons by far—is looking increasingly doubtful. To unpack the political reality around Ukraine support in the United States and the likely implications for Kyiv’s war effort, Ivo Daalder joins Andrea Kendall-Taylor and Jim Townsend on this week’s episode of Brussels Sprouts.

Ivo Daalder is President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs. From 2009-2013, he served as the United States’ Ambassador to NATO.