- February 13, 2023
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- February 13, 2023
The 24th of February 2022 marks a historic turning point in the European security architecture. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has turned long-standing certainties into absurdities and brutally violated principles of international law. For a year now, a grueling war of attrition has raged in eastern and southern Ukraine, with hundreds of deaths on both sides every day. The West is trying to reach a solution with a two-pronged strategy. On the one hand, NATO and EU countries are supplying weapons and ammunition on an unprecedented scale for Ukraine’s self-defense. On the other hand, the G7 countries have imposed tough economic and financial sanctions on Russia. This approach should ultimately lead to peace negotiations, though these are currently a long way off. An escalation into a nuclear conflict or even World War III should be avoided at all costs. The transatlantic alliance has so far shown a high degree of unity in the face of the greatest threat on the European continent since the end of the Cold War. What is the current situation in the Russia-Ukraine conflict? What influence do Western support for Ukraine and sanctions against Russia have on the course of the war? Did the big words about the ‘Zeitenwende’ turn into corresponding deeds? How much longer can European allies rely on American involvement in Europe? Podcast hosts Julia Friedlander, Atlantik-Brücke, and Stormy-Annika Mildner, Aspen Institute Germany, discuss these questions with Elmar Theveßen, studio director of ZDF Washington, D.C., and Dr. Liana Fix, Fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C.
