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 24 the ACG hosted a Kaffeepause with Sonja Gillert, Head of Audio for Die Welt, on the meetings between officials from Germany and Russia, as well as Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Berlin and Ukraine.
On January 21, the ACG and the Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung had a conversation with Markus Blume, Secretary General of Bavaria’s Christian Social Union.
On January 20, 2022, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke in Berlin before members and friends of the American Council on Germany, Atlantik-Brücke e.V., Aspen Institute Germany, and the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Secretary Blinken discussed the transatlantic commitment to the rule of law.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has placed crosshairs on Ukraine, a country he sees as linked to Russia and the people of Ukraine as “one people” with Russians. To back up this fixation with repairing a “historic injustice” Moscow has amassed a force of over 100,000 troops and supporting armor and aircraft along the border with Ukraine. Leading the West’s response, President Biden has threatened “massive consequences” if Russia invades Ukraine. American and Russian diplomats are meeting this week. However, the lines are drawn: Putin is demanding an end to NATO’s eastward expansion, to include Ukraine, and Biden and the West say there will be a very high economic price to pay as well as increased deployments on NATO’s eastern flank. What is the context for this provocation and what are the U.S. and Allies prepared to do? On January 17, the American Council on Germany and the Tennessee World Affairs Council for a discussion with Ambassador John Kornblum about the crisis. He also discussed how we got to where we are and what the possible courses of action for the U.S. and Europe might be. The conversation was led by Dr. Thomas Schwartz, Distinguished Professor of History at Vanderbilt University. This event is held in cooperation with the Belmont University Center for International Business and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Relations between Russia and the United States are fraught. Tensions stem largely from the situation on the border with Ukraine, where Russia has positioned thousands of troops. U.S. intelligence sources believe that Moscow is planning a military offensive, but Russia denies any intent to invade Ukraine. The situation is further complicated because Russia sent troops into neighboring Kazakhstan last week after the oil-producing former Soviet republic was hit by a wave of unrest.
In two conversations over the past five weeks, U.S. President Joe Biden warned Putin that Russia would face unprecedented economic sanctions in the event of further aggression against Ukraine. The Group of Seven nations and the European Union have also threatened “massive consequences.” On January 14, the ACG hosted a discussion with Russia experts Dr. Stefan Meister and Dr. Angela Stent about this week’s talks with Russia.