The Economist Asks

Since reunification, Germany has sought stable relations with Russia. That changed with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. But is this Zeitenwende (“turning point”) really a new era for Europe’s powerhouse? Anne McElvoy asks John Lough, former NATO strategist, why risk-averse chancellors turned a blind eye to the Kremlin. Anne visits the mothballed Nord Stream 2 pipeline with Alexander Drost, from the University of Greifswald. And Anna Luhrmann, Germany’s Europe and climate minister, discusses how the country can wean itself off Russian energy and the significance of the shift in foreign and security policy.  

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This week the global elite gathered in Davos for the World Economic Forum against a backdrop of rising commodity prices, soaring inflation and conflict in Europe. Host Anne McElvoy assesses the economic fallout with Patrick Foulis, The Economist’s business affairs editor, and our finance and economics editor, Rachana Shanbhogue. Anne also talks to Adena Friedman, CEO of the Nasdaq stock exchange, to gauge the outlook for the markets. Plus, historian Adam Tooze on the changing economic world order.

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The war in Ukraine has put the organisation’s founding principles and its authority on the line. Anne McElvoy asks Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States ambassador to the UN, how the Security Council can function in a time of division. Is the sharing of military intelligence by America an act of war? Plus, the ambassador discusses her solutions to the looming food security crisis. 

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For 50 years, women in America have had a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. Now, a leaked draft opinion suggests that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v Wade. Anne McElvoy asks Mary Ziegler, a legal historian, about the origins of the landmark legislation and what would happen if Roe is cast aside. Plus, does the Supreme Court need reforming?

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In ten weeks of conflict Vladimir Putin has not been afraid to rattle the nuclear sabre. Western leaders have responded by tempering their own rhetoric – but the risk of nuclear war is greater than it has been for more than half a century. Anne McElvoy asks Rose Gottemoeller, a former deputy secretary-general at NATO, whether Russia will launch nuclear weapons and, if it did, what the West should do. And, has NATO proved its worth?

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Evidence of Russian war crimes litters the landscape of Ukraine. But it’s a long trudge from the battlefields to the courtroom. Anne McElvoy asks Oona Hathaway, an expert on law and warfare and a professor at Yale University, whether the perpetrators will be held accountable. Could Vladimir Putin and others be prosecuted by a Nuremberg-style tribunal? Plus, should America join the International Criminal Court?

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The war in Ukraine has driven Finland and Sweden to rethink their long-held position on neutrality. Anne McElvoy asks the former Swedish prime minister whether the two countries will join Nato. Will membership bring stability and security to Europe and how should the Nordic neighbours manage their relations with Russia? Plus, he relives the history lesson he received from the former German chancellor Helmut Kohl. 

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President Joe Biden began his presidency wanting “stable and predictable” relations with Russia. As war in Ukraine rages on, Anne McElvoy asks Senator Bob Menendez how it will test US foreign policy. The chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee discusses the potency of sanctions and measures anti-Nato sentiment in Congress. Plus, how should President Biden handle the bond between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping?

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Host Anne McElvoy asks the prime minister of Lithuania if today’s Russia threatens the Baltic states – and how does she assess the strengths and weaknesses of Nato’s defence? Her country took the step to ban Russian gas, but will the rest of the European Union follow suit? Plus, why does she think it’s “delusional” to assume diplomacy works with Vladimir Putin?

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At his headquarters in Kyiv, Ukraine’s president tells Zanny Minton Beddoes, The Economist’s editor-in-chief, and Russia editor Arkady Ostrovsky why his country must defeat Vladimir Putin. He explains how people power is the secret to Ukrainian resistance and urges international partners to send in more military equipment. Plus, what does a Ukrainian victory look like?

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