Over a year into German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's famous Zeitenwende speech calling Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "historic turning point" in Germany's defense policy and pledging €100 billion in increased military spending, many in Washington have criticized Scholz for not following up on its implementation. In this week's episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Amb. Christoph Heusgen, chairman of the Munich Security Conference, to discuss all things Zeitenwende; both its successes—such as German independence from Russian energy—and the work that is being done to "change the DNA" of many Soviet Union-era Germans who feel indebted to former Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev for Germany's unification. Heusgen also shares his thoughts on German-Polish and German-French relations, NATO membership for Ukraine, division amongst the original Visegrád countries, and what future global competition is shaping out to look like.

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