- October 25, 2021
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- June 15, 2025
The chaotic and very inglorious end of the 20-year military intervention in Afghanistan marks a turning point in the West’s foreign and security policy. In view of the failed efforts in the region, the many civilian and military casualties, and the immense costs, the sense and purpose of international interventions needs to be reconsidered. So it is worth taking a critical look at the status quo of ongoing international missions — regardless of whether they are mandated by the UN, EU, or NATO. The disaster of the Afghanistan intervention offers an opportunity to redefine the meaning and purpose of foreign missions and to look ahead to future interventions. What can be learned from the failure in the Hindu Kush for other ongoing missions, such as in Mali? What should ongoing missions accomplish? What are the priorities of the United States and the European Union? Can we conclude that democratic nation-building from outside has failed as an ideal? Should NATO focus on alliance defense alone and shelve out-of-area missions? Podcast hosts David Deißner, Atlantik-Brücke, and Stormy-Annika Mildner, Aspen Institute Germany, discuss these questions with Dr. Markus Kaim, Senior Fellow in the International Security Research Group at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin, and Dr. Annika Hansen, Head of Analysis at the Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF) in Berlin.
“America’s Choice – Der USA-Podcast” is a German-language podcast on U.S. politics, co-produced by the Aspen Institute Germany and the Atlantik-Brücke. The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other platforms.
