Western Europe

#BritainDebrief – What role is Western intelligence playing in the Ukraine crisis? A Debrief from Sir John Sawers

By Ben Judah

Sir John Sawers, the former Chief of MI6, joins #BritainDebrief to discuss the role of intelligence agencies in responding to the crisis in Ukraine.

Wieslander on “Finlandization” of Ukraine in New York Times

By Anna Wieslander

“‘Finlandization’ would appear to rule out [the possibility of NATO membership for Ukraine] and allow Moscow a heavy hand in Ukrainian affairs — concessions Kyiv and NATO have rejected as unacceptable, ” wrote the New York Times. “All of this goes against what Ukraine has been striving for,” said Anna Wieslander, director for Northern Europe […]

Wieslander interviewed on Putin-Macron meeting by Sweden’s “Expressen”

“[Putin] does not want to stop negotiating but rather continue increasing his sphere of influence in Europe. It is an interplay between military escalation and negotiations…If nothing happens militarily now, the chances of him taking action may be reduced. However, he can always withdraw and come back in the summer. We just don’t know. He […]

Friedlander quoted by the Washington Post on how Russian oligarchs benefit from London’s loose financial regulation

Read the full article here.

Ashford in the Washington Post: Has Ukraine turned the tables on Russia?

By Atlantic Council

On February 3, Ashford was cited in the Washington Post on energy issues related to Russia and Europe. “European Council on Foreign Relations’s Jeremy Shapiro recently observed that ‘in a world of increasing geopolitical competition, the US needs partners — not supplicants and free-riders.’ An Anglo-Polish arrangement to bolster Ukraine’s defenses suggests the former and not the […]

Ashford in Foreign Policy: Will Germany hobble Western sanctions against Russia?

By Atlantic Council

On February 3, Emma Ashford co-authored an article in Foreign Policy with Rachel Rizzo, Senior Fellow in the Europe Center, on the problems for European energy sanctions related to the Ukraine crisis.  “The core issue, however, is less one of German intransigence but rather that there are limited options on the table for sanctions in the event […]