George Bogden

Ursula von der Leyen, Germany's minister for defence, and Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis speak to the press at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Garmisch, Germany, June 28, 2017. (DOD photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Jette Carr)

The Case for the EU’s ‘Defense of Democracy’ Package

European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stirred controversy over her proposal for a “Defense of Democracy package” — in fact, the package’s formal unveiling has just been indefinitely postponed. What’s the source of the pushback? The initiative’s core proposals entail reporting requirements on institutions that garner funding from third-country …

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Auf dem Truppenübungsplatz, mit einem Soldaten beim Erläutern der Panzerhaubitze 2000

A Year after Germany’s “Sea Change,” Policy Change Remains Elusive

Nine days before Russian President Vladimir Putin began his war of conquest in Ukraine, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Moscow. He summed up his meetings by repeating a phrase made famous by Egon Bahr, West Germany’s emissary to Moscow in the 1970s: “Without Russia, a peace order in Europe is not possible.” This line …

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Olaf Scholz, Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance, Germany, Plenary Session, Berlin, 8 July 2018

Germany’s Unkept Promise

  Speaking at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz summarized his country’s approach to the war in Ukraine. “Despite all the pressure to take action,” he said, “caution must take priority over hasty decisions, unity over solo actions.” The line provided Scholz’s most explicit defense …

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