Europe - Video

Disputes over the regional order in post-Soviet Europe and Eurasia are at the core of the breakdown in Russia-West relations, and have created major security and economic challenges for the states caught in between: first and foremost Ukraine, but also Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Current policy approaches toward the regional order—i.e., the set of rules, norms, and institutions that govern the region—have exacerbated today’s disorder and instability. The authors of a new report offer a comprehensive proposal for revising the regional order. The proposal, which addresses the security architecture, economic integration, and regional conflicts, was devised by four groups of experts convened by the RAND Corporation and the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung’s Regional Office for Cooperation and Peace in Europe. Each group included representatives from the West, Russia, and the states in between. This event is made possible by the generous support of the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

At 11:00 PM on January 31st, the UK will formally withdraw from the European Union. How will the UK's foreign and security policy change? What security challenges will it prioritize? And will leaving the European Union bring the UK closer to the United States? Please join us for a conversation with former UK Secretary of State for Defense (2010-2011), former Secretary of State for International Trade (2016-2019), and Conservative MP from North Somerset Dr. Liam Fox. Dr. Fox will offer his reflections on the vitally important role NATO must play in the future, the role of values in national security, the security challenges that Russia and China pose to the UK, the impact of cyber warfare, and the role of non-state actors and proxy groups in fueling future conflicts. This event is made possible through generous support from the Stuart Family Foundation

Please join us for a conversation with Finland’s Minister of Defense Antti Kaikkonen. As an EU member state, NATO partner, Arctic nation, and neighbor to Russia, Finland offers a unique perspective on security in the High North and transatlantic security challenges. The Minister will reflect on the state of transatlantic relations, the regional security situation, and the way forward for bilateral defense cooperation. He will also outline his views on an emerging defense agenda, particularly in new technology areas, and provide an update on Finland’s defense priorities for its Presidency of the Council of the European Union (through December), which include development and integration of new technologies; improving counter-hybrid capabilities; and advancing cooperation with partners. Minister Kaikkonen has served as a Member of Parliament since 2003. This event is made possible through generous support from the Stuart Family Foundation.

In partnership with the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding (CPRDU), CSIS is pleased to invite you to the eighth annual Transatlantic Forum on Russia. This year's conference will examine transatlantic policy towards Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova five years after Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and military incursion into eastern Ukraine. The Transatlantic Forum on Russia is part of a broader effort to formulate an enduring transatlantic policy framework towards Russia, with an examination of regional security, political, and economic developments. Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks. AGENDA   8:30-8:50am Registration and Light Breakfast     9:00am Welcoming Remarks:          Ms. Heather A. Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic, CSIS Dr. Ernest Wyciszkiewicz, Director, Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding (CPRDU)   9:10-10:00am             Keynote Address: U.S. Policy toward Russia: A View from Congress Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) 10:00-11:30am           Panel One: Five Years After the Annexation of Crimea and Military Incursion into the Donbas: Where Does the Transatlantic Community Go from Here?   Panelists: Dr. Pawel Kowal, former Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland (2005-2007), Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences Dr. Maria Snegovaya, Adjunct Fellow, Center for European Policy (CEPA) Dr. Alina Polyakova, Director, Global Democracy and Emerging Technologies, Brookings Jonathan D. Katz, Senior Fellow, German Marshall Fund   Moderator: Dr. Ernest Wyciszkiewicz, Director, Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding (CPRDU)   11:30-11:45am            Coffee Break   11:45-1:15pm             Panel Two: Belarus, Moldova and Georgia: What Does the Future Hold?   Panelists: Dr. Adam Eberhardt, Director, Center for Eastern Studies, Warsaw Iulian Groza, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova (2013-2015) Executive Director, European Institute of Politics and Reforms, Chișinău Alex Johnson, Chief of Staff, U.S Helsinki Commission Dr. Mamuka Tsereteli, Senior Fellow, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at AFPC   Moderator: Ms. Heather A. Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic, CSIS   1:15pm                       Buffet Lunch                                     1:45pm                       Journalist Roundtable: The White House and the Evolution of U.S. Policy toward Russia   Panelists: Peter Baker, White House Correspondent, New York Times Susan Glasser, Staff Writer, The New Yorker Rene Pfister, Washington Bureau Chief, DER SPIEGEL   Moderator:  Ms. Heather A. Conley, Senior Vice President for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic, CSIS This event is made possible through generous support from the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding.

CSIS is pleased to welcome the Honorable James Risch (R-ID), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for a discussion on China’s growing economic and political influence in Europe and the need for a cohesive transatlantic strategy and policy response. Recent high-level visits to China by the German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron highlight the urgent need for a transatlantic approach; Chinese strategic economic investments in Europe, through its Belt and Road Initiative, the 17+1 format, and focus on acquiring European firms, as well as its increasingly dominant telecommunications position, challenge NATO as well as transatlantic security and intelligence cooperation. As Beijing exerts influence over EU and non-EU members alike, Beijing has been able to exploit policy differences between the United States and Europe. Following Senator Risch’s opening remarks, he will be joined in a moderated discussion with CSIS Senior Vice Presidents Heather Conley and Michael Green to dive more deeply into the policy challenges of countering China’s foothold in Europe and developing a common transatlantic approach.   Featuring This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

While countering terrorism financing may be prioritized by national governments, it is the rise of illicit finance and money laundering that constitutes a grave threat to national security and democratic institutions. As extensive research identified in the Kremlin Playbook and the Kremlin Playbook 2 demonstrated, illicit financial flows are increasingly used to influence policies and erode democratic systems. Anti-money laundering (AML) directives, Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO) legislation as well as other transparency initiatives in the EU and U.S. can help safeguard democratic institutions.  Prior to the 2013 financial crisis, Cyprus and the Cypriot financial system was frequently cited as a main conduit of illicit financial flows, particularly from Russia. Cyprus responded by implementing important AML and banking reforms in recent years, such as a register for beneficial ownership for trusts and enhanced compliance and due diligence policies. We welcome the leaders of the two largest banks in Cyprus, as well as Eric Lorber, Director for the Center for Economic and Financial Power at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, for a public discussion on what lessons were learned during this period as well as what more work needs to be done in the U.S. and the EU to prevent malign economic influence from penetrating Western financial systems.  This event was made possible through ­­­­­­­­­­­general support to CSIS.

Please join us at CSIS for a conversation with Norwegian Deputy Foreign Minister Audun Halvorsen on Norway’s Arctic security strategy. For Arctic littoral states such as Norway, changing dynamics in the Arctic as a result of climate change and increased commercial activity will bring new challenges in the future. Deputy Foreign Minister Halvorsen will offer his perspectives on the effects of a shifting geopolitical climate on the Arctic and the implications for Norwegian foreign and security policy, for NATO efforts to enhance deterrence and defense in the High North and North Atlantic, and for Arctic governance.  Mr. Halvorsen previously served as a Political Advisor to the Minister of Defense and a Political Advisor to the Conservative Party Parliamentary Group. This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.  

Please join us for a conversation with Minister of National Defense of Portugal João Gomes Cravinho. Portugal offers a unique perspective on the importance of transatlantic relations given its Atlantic geography as well as its membership in both NATO and the EU. Minister Cravinho will share his thoughts on the most pressing issues for transatlantic security and defense, including Russia, China, and security challenges along Europe’s Southern borders. Minister Cravinho will also discuss the future of US-EU security and defense cooperation in a post-Brexit environment as Lisbon plays a more proactive role in the selection of new EU leaders. Minister Cravinho previously served as EU Ambassador to New Delhi, EU Ambassador to Brasília, and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. This event is made possible by general support to CSIS. 

Please join us for a conversation with Latvian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Dr. Artis Pabriks, who will discuss Russia’s malign influence and how Latvia’s national efforts compliment broader NATO and U.S. posture in the era of major power competition. Bringing a wealth of experience and insights from his distinguished public service in Latvia and the European Parliament, Dr. Pabriks will also offer his reflections on the state of U.S.-European relations on the eve of the European Parliament elections. This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.

On April 23, 2019, the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies will be hosting a discussion on pre-existing and emerging threats to U.S. space systems. The event will kickoff with a keynote from Steve Kitay, DASD for Space Policy. Following Mr. Kitay's remarks, an expert panel will discuss recent global counterspace developments. This event highlights the Aerospace Security Project’s new report, Space Threat Assessment 2019, and the Secure World Foundation’s new report, Global Counterspace Capabilities. Following the discussion, please join us for a screening of a new documentary, Commanding Space: The Story Behind the Space Force, produced by the CSIS Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab. To celebrate the launch of both the new report and the documentary, we invite you to stay after the screening for a networking reception. This event is made possible through general support to CSIS. 

Please join us for an insightful conversation with Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell where topics such as the future of the European Union and upcoming European parliament elections, Brexit, the celebration of NATO’s 70th anniversary and transatlantic relations as well as the upcoming Spanish general elections on April 28 (which Minister Borrell has described as being of “existential importance”) will be explored in an engaging and very topical dialogue. This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

A fragmented model of digital governance is emerging. Data regulation, technical and ethical standards, and market leadership are all in flux, raising questions about whose rules, if any, will become the global standard. This CSIS Simon Chair event will look at the evolution of technology and digital governance in the world’s major economies – the United States, Europe, China, and Japan – and how competing visions and differing priorities are shaping national and regional approaches to digital governance.  Featuring a keynote address from Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA) Closing remarks from former Deputy US Trade Representative Ambassador Robert Holleyman Expert panel featuring: Peter Fatelnig, Minister Counsellor for Digital Economy Policy, Delegation of the European Union to the United States Naoki Ota, Founder, New Stories Ltd. Former Special Adviser to the Minister, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan  Diane Rinaldo, Deputy Assistant Secretary, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), Department of Commerce Paul Triolo, Practice Head, Geotechnology, Eurasia Group Shaundra Watson, Director, Policy, BSA | The Software Alliance  Stephanie Segal (Moderator), Simon Chair Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, CSIS This event was made possible by support from the Japanese Embassy.

With presidential elections set for the spring, Ukraine’s election season is in full-swing. Candidates from across the political spectrum are running, and, as in many previous Ukrainian elections, the outcome is not foreordained. Will incumbent Petro Poroshenko seek re-election—and if so, does he have a chance of winning? Will Yulia Tymoshenko complete her political renaissance? And what are the implications of the election for Ukraine’s future, including the conflict in the Donbas? This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.

This discussion, following the midterm elections, will assess what we saw--and didn't see--in those elections.  It will also examine foreign influence operations that go beyond elections to undermine other democratic institutions, such as our justice system, and democracy itself.   Finally, we will discuss ways to counter this national security threat. This event is made possible with the help of the American Bar Association Committee on Law and National Security and the financial support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Democracy Fund.

Please join us for the seventh joint conference of CSIS and the Centre for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding (CPRDU), entitled, the "Transatlantic Forum on Russia."  Since 2012 CSIS and CPRDU have partnered to examine the impact of Polish-Russian reconciliation and its wider regional and transatlantic implications.  Following Russia’s 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea and military incursions into eastern Ukraine, and its military and covert operations in Syria, Salisbury, and elsewhere, the Forum’s focus has turned to formulating a long-term transatlantic policy framework towards Russia. The Forum convenes five months after the U.S.-Russia Summit in Helsinki, nine days after the U.S. mid-term elections, and four days after President Trump’s meeting with Russian President Putin in Paris on the margins of the centenarian commemoration of the end of the First World War.  Regional and U.S. experts will assess the role that history plays in shaping both Russia’s and the West’s narrative as well as to examine the success that Russian malign influence has had in undermining confidence in democratic institutions and leaders in Europe and the United States. This event is made possible through support from Center for Polish-Russian Dialogue and Understanding.

The CSIS Europe Program is delighted to host a conversation with U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on Europe and Regional Security Cooperation. With the conclusion of the U.S. midterm elections, we will discuss what the future holds for U.S. policy toward NATO and European security, Russia, the Western Balkans, as well as the U.S.-EU trade relationship from a Congressional perspective. Following Senator Murphy’s remarks, CSIS experts will assess the impact that the new Congress will have on foreign and national security policy, and discuss the issues they will be keeping their eyes on in the 116th Congress. This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.

Join Muriel Domenach, Secretary General of the French government's Inter-ministerial Committee for the Prevention of Delinquency and Radicalization (CIPDR), as she discusses France's ongoing efforts to counter radicalization and violent extremism. "Prevent to Protect," the plan released by CIPDR in February 2018, offered 60 measures to refocus France's policy of prevention around five key themes: After Ms. Domenach's remarks, Seth G. Jones, Harold Brown Chair and Director of the CSIS Transnational Threats Project, will host a moderated armchair discussion comparing and contrasting the French and American perspectives on the issues of returning foreign fighters, counter-narrative efforts, and building community resilience. This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

The CSIS Transnational Threats Project cordially invites you to a book launch event for John J. Mearsheimer’s newly released The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities (Yale University Press). A limited number of copies of The Great Delusion will be sold at the event, and Dr. Mearsheimer will sign them following the discussion.   Moderated by Seth Jones Harold Brown Chair Director, Transnational Threats Project Senior Adviser, International Security Program  Charles Glaser Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs Director, Institute for Security and Conflict Studies With John J. Mearsheimer R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago   In this major statement, the renowned international-relations scholar John Mearsheimer argues that liberal hegemony, the foreign policy pursued by the United States since the Cold War ended, is doomed to fail. It makes far more sense, he maintains, for Washington to adopt a more restrained foreign policy based on a sound understanding of how nationalism and realism constrain great powers abroad.   It is widely believed in the West that the United States should spread liberal democracy across the world, foster an open international economy, and build institutions. This policy of remaking the world in America’s image is supposed to protect human rights, promote peace, and make the world safe for democracy. But this is not what has happened. Instead, the United States has ended up as a highly militarized state fighting wars that undermine peace, harm human rights, and threaten liberal values at home. Mearsheimer tells us why this has happened. This event was made possible through support from CSIS.

At a time of great global change, European nations, Russia included, are rethinking security institutions and interests, including their relationships with one another and with the United States. At the same time, Russia itself is a crucial factor in its neighbors’ and others’ decision calculus about how security on the European continent might be best attained and preserved. Join us as we bring together some of Russia, Europe, and America’s top analysts to discuss what might happen, and how Russia is likely to affect and be affected by the evolving European security order. This event is made possible by the generous support of Carnegie Corporation of New York.

CSIS Transnational Threats Project cordially invites you to a book launch event for Director Seth G. Jones’ newly released A Covert Action: Reagan, the CIA, and the Cold War Struggle In Poland. (W. W. Norton & Company)   Moderated by Kathleen H. Hicks Senior Vice President; Henry A. Kissinger Chair; Director, International Security Program   With Seth G. Jones Harold Brown Chair; Director, Transnational Threats Project; and Senior Adviser, International Security Program   December, 1981—the CIA receives word that the Polish government has cut telephone communications with the West and closed the Polish border. The agency’s leaders quickly inform President Ronald Reagan, who is enjoying a serene weekend at Camp David. Within hours, Prime Minister Wojciech Jaruzelski has appeared on Polish national television to announce the establishment of martial law. A new era in Cold War politics has begun: Washington and Moscow are on a collision course. In this gripping narrative history, Seth G. Jones reveals the little-known story of the CIA’s subsequent operations in Poland, which produced a landmark victory for democracy during the Cold War. While the Soviet-backed Polish government worked to crush a budding liberal opposition movement, the CIA began a sophisticated intelligence campaign, code-named QRHELPFUL, that supported dissident groups. The most powerful of these groups was Solidarity, a trade union that swelled to a membership of ten million and became one of the first legitimate anti-Communist opposition movements in Eastern Europe. With President Reagan’s support, the CIA provided money that helped Solidarity print newspapers, broadcast radio programs, and conduct a wide-ranging information warfare campaign against the Soviet-backed government. QRHELPFUL proved vital in establishing a free and democratic Poland. Long overlooked by CIA historians and Reagan biographers, the story of QRHELPFUL features an extraordinary cast of characters—including spymaster Bill Casey, CIA officer Richard Malzahn, Polish-speaking CIA case officer Celia Larkin, Solidarity leader Lech Walesa, and Pope John Paul II. Based on in-depth interviews and recently declassified evidence, A Covert Action celebrates a decisive victory over tyranny for U.S. intelligence behind the Iron Curtain, one that prefigured the Soviet collapse. This event was made possible through support from CSIS.