On February 1, the ACG and the Tennessee World Affairs Council hosted a discussion on Germany’s response to the growing Russian military presence on the Ukraine border with Ambassador John Kornblum, former U.S. Ambassador to Germany, and Dr. Liana Fix, Resident Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
Each week, the ACG hosts a discussion with a journalist based in Germany on the topics making the headlines and shaping political discourse in Berlin. On January 31, the ACG hosted a Kaffeepause with Melissa Eddy, Berlin Correspondent for the New York Times. Among other topics, she discussed Germany’s response to growing tensions with Russia.
Last week a group of German parliamentarians visited Kyiv (and Warsaw) to have a look at the situation on the ground. Bundestag member Metin Hakverdi (SPD) was part of the delegation. On January 28, the American Council on Germany and the New York Office of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung hosted a discussion with Mr. Hakverdi about the trip and about Germany’s position on the Ukraine crisis.
Nearly 50 days into the new government, we are already seeing tensions within the governing coalition over how to address challenges – ranging from pandemic response to tensions with Russia. On January 28, the American Council on Germany, Atlantik-Brücke, and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Town Hall hosted a discussion with former U.S. Ambassador to Berlin John B. Emerson and former Federal Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel. The discussion was moderated by Juliane Schäuble, U.S. Correspondent of Der Tagesspiegel.
From the pandemic to climate change to concerns over Russia and China, the United States and Europe face a host of common challenges that are best addressed together. However, some Europeans worry that the United States might not be a reliable partner.
On January 24, one year into the Biden administration, the ACG hosted a discussion about how the United States is perceived from Berlin with Cathryn Clüver Ashbrook, the Director of the German Council on Foreign Relations (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, DGAP), and Dr. Stefan Mair, the Director of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, SWP).