One of the Trump administration’s first moves has been the dismantling of USAID, an agency that has been critical for international development and democracy promotion.

Rym Momtaz sat down with Thomas Carothers and Richard Youngs to discuss the implications of U.S. cuts to foreign aid and Europe’s role in keeping the global democracy agenda alive.

[00:00:00] Intro, [00:01:11] Trump’s Cuts to USAID, [00:10:07] The Need to Rethink the International Democracy Agenda, [00:20:33] Europe's Defensive Approach to Democracy.

Thomas Carothers, March 3, 2025, “Does U.S. Democracy Aid Have a Future?,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Thomas Carothers, February 4, 2025, “The Heartless Upheaval of American Foreign Aid,” Emissary, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Thomas Carothers, March 3, 2025, “Prospects for US Democracy Support During the Second Trump Presidency,” European Democracy Hub.

Thomas Carothers, Richard Youngs, May 2, 2024, “European and U.S. Democracy Support: The Limits of Convergence,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Richard Youngs, February 26, 2025, “European Reactions to the U.S. Retreat From Democracy,” Carnegie Europe.

Richard Youngs, February 26, 2025, “No world order: Europe needs more radical thinking for the Trump era,” The Conversation.

Richard Youngs et al., January 23, 2025, “European Democracy Support Annual Review 2024,” Carnegie Europe.

Richard Youngs, Elene Panchulidze, December 2, 2024, “Playing Defence: Europe and Democracy,” Survival.

Richard Youngs, September 25, 2024, “The European Union is becoming too obsessed with defence,” The Conversation.

After three years of war on its soil, Ukraine is grappling with manpower shortages and increasingly uncertain Western military support in the face of Russia’s continued aggression.

Rym Momtaz sat down with Yuliya Bidenko and Eric Ciaramella to unpack the situation on the ground and the war’s broader implications for European security and the transatlantic alliance.

[00:00:00] Intro, [00:02:01] The Military Situation on the Ground, [00:11:17] Ukraine’s Mobilization and Societal Priorities, [00:18:43] Europe’s Role in Ensuring Ukraine’s Security.

Yuliya Bidenko, February 8, 2023, “How Ukraine Forged a Culture of Resilience,” Europe Inside Out, Carnegie Europe.

Eric Ciaramella, January 30, 2025, “Triangle of Sadness: Prospects of Trump-Putin-EU Peace Talks on Ukraine, with Eric Ciaramella,” Carnegie Politika, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

Eric Ciaramella, December 5, 2024, “Rational Security: The "Ukraine in the Membrane" Edition,” Lawfare.

Rym Momtaz et al., December 5, 2024, “Taking the Pulse: Are Information Operations Russia’s Most Potent Weapon Against Europe?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Rym Momtaz et al., January 9, 2025, “Taking the Pulse: Can Poland’s EU Presidency Be Credible Without Deploying Troops to Ukraine?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Rym Momtaz et al., November 21, 2024, “Taking the Pulse: Would Freezing Ukraine’s NATO Membership Process Advance Peace?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Rym Momtaz, November 5, 2024, “Behind the Scenes, Preparations for Russia-Ukraine Negotiations,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Russia’s belligerence and political interference in some of the Black Sea littoral states threaten the EU’s influence in the region. 

Rym Momtaz sat down with Dimitar Bechev and Thomas de Waal to discuss how the union can respond to Moscow’s destabilizing actions and keep the enlargement process on track. 

[00:00:00] Intro, [00:02:13] The Political Situation in Georgia and Moldova, [00:10:04] The EU’s Enlargement Strategy, [00:20:14] Europe’s Role in the Black Sea

Rym Momtaz et al., December 5, 2024, “Taking the Pulse: Are Information Operations Russia’s Most Potent Weapon Against Europe?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Dimitar Bechev, November 25, 2024, “Illiberal eastern Europeans look to play their Trump card,” Financial Times.

Dimitar Bechev, Richard Giragosian, Gorana Grgić, and Batu Kutelia, December 5, 2024, “In Brief: Russia’s Hybrid War,”War on the Rocks.

Dimitar Bechev, Iliriana Gjoni, October 24, 2024, “All Is Not Well With EU Enlargement to the Western Balkans,” Carnegie Europe.

Dimitar Bechev, June 27, 2024, “Between the EU and Moscow: How Russia Exploits Divisions in Bosnia,” Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

Dimitar Bechev, June 20, 2024, “Can EU Enlargement Work?,” Carnegie Europe.

Thomas de Waal, January 16, 2025, “Moldova’s Gas Crisis Is Europe’s Headache,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Thomas de Waal, October 31, 2024, “Georgia’s Dangerous Moment Is a Challenge for the EU,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Thomas de Waal, October 9, 2024, “Can Georgia Stay on Its European Path?,” Europe Inside Out, Carnegie Europe.

Thomas de Waal, June 5, 2024, “Opportunistic Georgia joins Europe’s illiberal club,” Financial Times.

Thomas de Waal, October 9, 2024, “Between Russia and the EU: Europe’s Arc of Instability,” Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.

Trade wars, the contestation of neoliberalism, and the weaponization of interdependence have prompted the EU to adjust its political economic model. 

Rym Momtaz sat down with Rosa Balfour and Erik Jones to discuss how the EU is changing its economic strategies and what challenges lie ahead for the new European Commission. 

[00:00:00] Intro, [00:01:29] The EU’s Political Economic Model, [00:15:37] Europe’s New Economic Statecraft, [00:23:40] Priorities for the New European Commission.

Rosa Balfour, Sinan Ülgen et al., November 19, 2024, “Geopolitics and Economic Statecraft in the European Union,” Carnegie Europe.

Rosa Balfour, Sinan Ülgen, November 28, 2024, “Europe’s Fledgling Economic Statecraft and the Trump Challenge,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Rosa Balfour, November 27, 2024, “Europe Under Trump: Strategic Challenges and Opportunities with Rosa Balfour,” Europe’s Futures.

Rosa Balfour, November 4, 2024, “Europe is trapped between technocracy and democracy,” Financial Times.

Erik Jones, November 2024, “How Draghi and Letta may help in dealing with Trump,” Encompass.

Rym Momtaz et al., November 7, 2024, “Taking the Pulse: Can Europeans Significantly Reduce Their Security Reliance on the United States?” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

With Donald Trump returning to the White House, the future of the transatlantic alliance hangs in the balance. 

Europe Inside Out's new host Rym Momtaz is joined by Sophia Besch and Christopher Shell to unpack the reasons behind his victory and its implications for EU-U.S. relations.

[00:00:00] Intro, [00:01:52] Interviews with Voters in the United States [00:10:52] The Reasons Behind Trump’s Victory [00:20:59] The Election’s Impact on EU-U.S. Relations [00:27:54] The Future of the Transatlantic Relationship.

Rym Momtaz et al., November 7, 2024, “Taking the Pulse: Can Europeans Significantly Reduce Their Security Reliance on the United States?” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Rym Momtaz, September 17, 2024, “Europe’s Choice: Adapt or Atrophy,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Sophia Besch, Liana Fix, November 7, 2024, “Europe Does Not Have the Luxury to Panic Over Trump’s Election,”, Emissary, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Sophia Besch, Christopher S. Chivvis, Stephen Wertheim, October 24, 2024, “Will America’s Next President Bring Real Change in Foreign Policy?” The World Unpacked, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Christopher Shell, October 24, 2024, “Race, Foreign Policy, and the 2024 Presidential Election,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Christopher Shell, October 11, 2024, “How Do Americans Feel About the Election and Foreign Policy?” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

As Georgia approaches a critical election after the introduction of a controversial foreign agents law, the country’s future remains uncertain.

Thomas de Waal, senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, and Natalie Sabanadze, senior research fellow at Chatham House, discuss how the election outcome could influence Georgia’s political landscape and international standing.

[00:00:00] Intro, [00:01:43] Georgia's Political Landscape, [00:09:08] Georgia and the EU Candidate Status [00:14:39] Post-Election Scenarios

Thomas de Waal, June 6, 2024, “Opportunistic Georgia Joins Europe’s Illiberal Club,” The Financial Times.

Thomas de Waal, June 3, 2024, “Putin’s Hidden Game in the South Caucasus,” Foreing Affairs.

Thomas de Waal, May 21, 2024, “Georgian nightmare,” Engelsberg Ideas.

Thomas de Waal, May 16, 2024, “The End of the Near Abroad,” Carnegie Europe.

Natalie Sabanadze, March 7, 2024, “How geopolitical competition in the Black Sea is redefining regional order,” Chatham House.

Natalie Sabanadze, November 16, 2023, “EU-Georgia Relations: A Local Show of the Global Theater,” Carnegie Europe.

Natalie Sabanadze, May 17, 2023, “Who Is Afraid of Georgian Democracy?,”  Carnegie Europe.

Following his party’s election victory, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hoping for a fundamental reset of Britain’s relations with the rest of Europe.

Peter Kellner, nonresident scholar at Carnegie Europe, and Kim Darroch, member of the British House of Lords, assess the prospects of revitalizing EU-UK ties on trade, security, and international cooperation.

[00:00:00] Intro, [00:01:24] EU-UK Relations After Brexit, [00:07:59] The Impact of Labour’s Victory, [00:16:36] What’s the Future for EU-UK Relations?

Kim Darroch, July 6, 2024, “In a fragile and dangerous era, strengthening ties with Europe is Britain’s most urgent challenge,” The Guardian.

Peter Kellner, June 27, 2024, “Brexit Has Fundamentally Damaged the Tories,” Prospect.

Peter Kellner, May 28, 2024, “The UK Braces for a Change of Direction,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Peter Kellner, March 9, 2023, “Trust and Compromise Return to EU-UK Relations,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

After twelve years at the helm of the “Strategic Europe”  blog, Judy Dempsey is stepping down as its editor in chief.

Rosa Balfour, director of Carnegie Europe, sat down with Judy and Jan Techau, a former Carnegie Europe director, to analyze how Europe’s global role has evolved since 2012.

[00:00:00] Intro, [00:01:30] How Did the Blog Begin?, [00:08:50] Has Europe Become More Strategic?

This year’s elections in Europe and the United States will significantly impact global climate action amid increasing global insecurity and contested green policies.

Olivia Lazard, fellow at Carnegie Europe, and Rod Schoonover, cofounder of the Ecosecurity Council, emphasize the need for more effective leadership and institutions to address climate change.

[00:00:00] Intro, [00:01:23] The Climate Change-Security Nexus, [00:11:45] Will Elections Affect Climate Policies?, [00:20:47] The Need for Strategic Foresight.

Olivia Lazard, December 19, 2023, “The Day After COP28: The Heat Is On,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Olivia Lazard, June 1, 2023, “How the EU Can Use Mineral Supply Chains to Redesign Collective Security,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Olivia Lazard, April 6, 2023, “The EU’s Water Strategy Is Too Shallow,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.

Rod Schoonover and Dan Smith, April 2023, “Five Urgent Questions on Ecological Security,” SIPRI.

Rod Schoonover and Eilish Zembilci, October 26, 2021, “New National Intelligence Estimate on Climate Change Underplays the Role of Food Security,” Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Rod Schoonover, April 21, 2021, “Plant Diseases and Pests Are Oft-Ignored Climate-Linked National Security Risks,” Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

The upcoming elections in the European Union and the United States are crucial tests for democracy on both sides of the Atlantic.

Richard Youngs, senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, and Thomas Carothers, director of Carnegie’s Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program, discuss what is in store for the global democratic agenda and the current state of EU-U.S. cooperation on democracy support.

[00:00:00] Intro, [00:02:14] The EU-U.S. Cooperation on Democracy, [00:11:59] The Global Democratic Recession, [00:18:43] The Future of the Transatlantic Democracy Agenda.

Thomas Carothers and Richard Youngs, May 2, 2024, “European and U.S. Democracy Support: The Limits of Convergence,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Thomas Carothers and Frances Brown, February 6, 2024, “Democracy Policy Under Biden: Confronting a Changed World,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Thomas Carothers, January 22, 2024, “The Democratic Price of Countering Authoritarianism,” Just Security, Reiss Center on Law and Security at New York University School of Law.

Thomas Carothers, January 10, 2024, “Democracy and Geopolitics Are on the Ballot in 2024,” Emissary, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Thomas Carothers, December 18, 2023, “Protests in 2023: Widespread Citizen Anger Continues, With Sources Multiplying,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Thomas Carothers, May 30, 2023, “Is the Global Tide Turning in Favor of Democracy?,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Richard Youngs, April 16, 2024, “Geoliberal Europe and the Test of War,” Agenda Publishing.

Richard Youngs and Ricardo Farinha, April 24, 2024, “Securitization and European Democracy Policy,” Carnegie Europe.

Richard Youngs, April 2024, “Why the European Elections Will Test Democracy,” Journal of Democracy.

Richard Youngs, March 17, 2024, “The Defensive Turn in European Democracy Support,” Carnegie Europe.

Richard Youngs et al., February 5, 2024, “European Democracy Support Annual Review 2023,” Carnegie Europe.

Richard Youngs, Thomas Carothers, et al., April 17, 2023, “How Can Europe Help the Next Phase of the Summit for Democracy?,” Carnegie Europe.