Europe and Eurasia | Council on Foreign Relations

Ukraine

A Resilient Ukraine Faces Defeat if U.S. Aid Falters

A failure by the United States to continue military aid to Ukraine would spell disaster for Ukraine and its Western allies while emboldening Russia and other potential aggressors.

In Brief by Max Boot February 17, 2024
United Kingdom

Moving Past the Troubles: The Future of Northern Ireland Peace

The Good Friday Agreement has dampened sectarian conflict and brought stability to Northern Ireland, but the peace deal has been challenged by Brexit-related border tensions that have thrown the region’s hard-won gains into doubt.

Backgrounder by Charles Landow and James McBride February 16, 2024
North Korea

60th Munich Security Conference, African Union’s Conflict-Laden Agenda, Bellicose North Korea, and More

World leaders gather for the sixtieth Munich Security Conference with growing concerns about a continued war in Ukraine and threats to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) cohesion; the African Union holds its annual summit as multiple crises mount, including armed conflict and democratic blacksliding; Kim Jong Un increases aggressive language and acts as North Korea prepares to celebrate the late father and leader Kim Jong Il’s birthday; and former Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is nominated to lead a coalition government as the new prime minister.

Podcast with Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins February 15, 2024 The World Next Week

Russia

Leadership Change in Russia

Vladimir Putin’s grip on power in Russia does not appear as ironclad as it once did. Liana Fix and Maria Snegovaya recommend that the United States prepare for potential leadership change in Moscow and develop response strategies with its allies to mitigate fallout.

Contingency Planning Memorandum by Liana Fix and Maria Snegovaya February 15, 2024 Center for Preventive Action
Russia

What Tucker Carlson’s Putin Interview Means for the War in Ukraine

In last week’s rare interview with a Western media figure, Russian President Vladimir Putin tried to combine a more reasonable tone with endless reminders of why Western governments think he’s not really interested in negotiating an end to the war with Ukraine.

In Brief by Stephen Sestanovich February 12, 2024 Europe Program
Ukraine

Will Ukraine Survive?

What Ukraine and its Western backers have accomplished in the wake of Russia’s February 2022 invasion is extraordinary. But with congressional Republicans blocking further US military aid, even as Russia begins to make gains on the battlefield, there is reason to be concerned about what the war’s third year will bring.

Article by Richard Haass February 9, 2024

Russia

Mobilizing Russia’s Immobilized Reserves

A quick note on the debate over the use of Russia’s frozen reserves.

Blog Post by Brad W. Setser February 1, 2024 Follow the Money
China

Academic Webinar: China-Russia Relations

Thomas Graham, distinguished fellow at CFR, and Zongyuan Zoe Liu, Maurice R. Greenberg fellow for China studies at CFR, lead the conversation on China-Russia relations. FASKIANOS: Welcome to today…

Virtual Event by Thomas Graham , Zongyuan Zoe Liu and Irina A. Faskianos January 31, 2024 Asia Program
Haiti

Rebels Gain As Myanmar Marks Coup Anniversary, EU's Ukraine Aid Challenge, Kenya’s Pending Mission to Haiti, and More

The Three Brotherhood Alliance and other armed ethnic groups in Myanmar pose a significant threat to regime control as the country enters its third year under junta rule; the European Union (EU) meets for a special summit on military aid for Ukraine, but concerns remain over Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán; Kenya’s high court will decide whether if it is constitutional for Kenya to lead a multinational peacekeeping mission to Haiti; and hundreds of thousands across Germany protest against the Alternative for Germany’s anti-immigration policies.

Podcast with Robert McMahon and Carla Anne Robbins January 25, 2024 The World Next Week
United States

CFR Fellows' Book Launch Series: The World That Wasn't: Henry Wallace and the Fate of the American Century by Benn Steil

Henry Wallace is the most important, and certainly the most fascinating, almost-president in American history. As FDR’s third-term vice president, and a hero to many progressives, he lost his place on the 1944 Democratic ticket in a wild open convention, as a result of which Harry Truman became president on FDR’s death. Books, films, and even plays have since portrayed the circumstances surrounding Wallace’s defeat as corrupt, and the results catastrophic. Based on striking new finds from Russian, FBI, and other archives, Benn Steil’s The World That Wasn’t paints a decidedly less heroic portrait of the man, of the events surrounding his fall, and of the world that might have been under his presidency.

Virtual Event by Benn Steil and Michael Froman January 23, 2024 CFR Fellows' Book Launch
Health Policy and Initiatives

Women This Week: Gender Health Gap Hindering Global Economy Growth

Welcome to “Women Around the World: This Week,” a series that highlights noteworthy news related to women and U.S. foreign policy. This week’s post covers January 13 to January 19.

Blog Post by Noël James January 19, 2024 Women Around the World
Democracy

Political Hurdles on Ukraine’s Way to EU Membership

After the 2013–14 Revolution of Dignity, which overthrew a deeply corrupt, Russian-backed regime, Ukraine declared its ambition to integrate into the Euro-Atlantic community of free-market democracie…

Article by Thomas Graham January 17, 2024 Diamonstein-Spielvogel Project on the Future of Democracy
Russia

Getting Russia Right

Getting Russia Right offers a practitioner’s account of why the great post-Cold War hopes for an enduring U.S.-Russian strategic partnership grounded in free markets and democratic values gave way to a bitter adversarial relationship that puts the United States and Russia on opposing sides of the critical issues in global affairs today.

Teaching Notes by Thomas Graham January 17, 2024 Europe Program
Ukraine

The War in Ukraine: How Does it End?

Panelists discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, exploring potential outcomes, examining the future of U.S. and EU engagement and support, and assessing the political and economic hurdles confronting both Zelensky and Putin as the war continues.

Virtual Event by Kori Schake, Stephen Sestanovich , Yaroslav Trofimov and Timothy Frye January 16, 2024 Europe Program
Ukraine

How the Drone War in Ukraine Is Transforming Conflict

Drone technology has been used extensively in twenty-first-century armed conflict, but the Russia-Ukraine war is driving innovations in autonomous warfare not seen on other battlefields.

Article by Kristen D. Thompson January 16, 2024