A year of dialogue: Israelis, Pales­tinians, and regional actors are working together in the Middle East Network to discuss ways out of the war in Gaza, the release of hostages, and a peaceful future. On September 15 and 16, the network success­fully concluded its fifth round of dialogue. Organized by the Center for Liberal Modernity, the exchange builds trust, generates new ideas, and, for the first time, brings together voices from politics, civil society, and academia.

When President Emmanuel Macron sat down with Israel’s Channel 12, he declared that appointing a vice president to the Pales­tinian Authority was a suffi­cient reform step to justify France’s recog­nition of a Pales­tinian state. With those words, Macron handed Mahmoud Abbas a free pass—applauding a cosmetic gesture while ignoring the single reform Pales­tinians have been demanding for nearly two decades: the right to vote in free presi­dential and legislative elections.

For almost two years – since October 7, 2023, when the terrorist organi­zation Hamas attacked Israel, murdered 1,200 civilians, and took 240 hostages – war has been raging in Gaza. The conflict is being fought with unrelenting ferocity – on both sides. Kerstin Müller, Program Director for the Middle East Network, assesses the current situation and explains why recog­nizing a Pales­tinian state would currently be purely symbolic politics.

The Middle East Network consists of a small group of political experts, activists, and repre­sen­ta­tives from think tanks and NGOs from Israel, the Pales­tinian Terri­tories, as well as regional actors from Egypt and Saudi Arabia. In this short video, several members share what motivates them to work toward changing the dynamics of the conflict and what oppor­tu­nities they see in the crisis.

In the run-up to the Alaska summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, Thomas Enders (President of the Council on Foreign Relations), Marieluise Beck and Ralf Fücks (Center for Liberal Modernity) have issued an appeal to the German government, naming five essen­tials that Europe must now stand for.

The parlia­mentary elections on September 28 will be historic in Moldova, even if the outcome is still uncertain. Various scenarios are possible: Will Moldova succeed in pushing ahead with EU accession as protection against a perceived threat from Russia? Much depends on how the population reacts to frustration and fears, as Denis Cenusa analyzes for us.

Germany is paralyzing itself. This is partic­u­larly evident in its foreign policy toward Georgia. We seem to be far from a turning point. This must change urgently, not least so that Germany takes itself, its democ­ratic values, and its partners seriously! An appeal from Tbilisi by Hans Gutbrod.

In an appeal to the German government and its European partners, numerous public figures from Germany and Europe are calling for a joint effort by European democ­racies to enable Ukraine to success­fully defend itself against Russia’s war of aggression. Any success for Russia’s politics of violence would be a blow to European security. The European democ­ratic project would also be struck at its core.

In his essay for the major German weekend newspaper “Welt am Sonntag” Ralf Fücks, founding director of LibMod, analyzes the current debate about Israel, the efforts to get rid of Germany’s special commitment to the Jewish state (“end of the cult of guilt”), and the long lines of hostility toward Israel on the “progressive” left.

Donald Trump is a vehicle for Musk and Thiel to implement their radical ideas, which aim to replace an accountable government with an unaccountable techno-monarchy, writes former technology manager Mike Brock. His article was first published in March on https://www.theunpopulist.net/p/how-silicon-valleys-corrupted-libertarianism.

According to Oliver Moody, people in the Baltic states have been aware of the threat posed by Russia for much longer. The Berlin corre­spondent for The Times and Sunday Times has just written a book about “The Baltic Sea Conflict Zone” (“Konflik­tzone Ostsee”) In an interview with Till Schmidt, he explains what we can learn from the Baltic states.

Over the course of its 75-year history, NATO has weathered many storms. At least two previous crises were existential – and in both cases, the US played a key role. The new crisis in the transat­lantic alliance, triggered by President Trump, runs deeper. Europe needs a bold and strong strategy to brave the storm. Gerlinde Niehus, former Deputy Director for Defense and Security Cooper­ation at NATO, analyzes the current situation for us.

“In Europe, people are actually being imprisoned for their opinions,” is the title of Yascha Mounk’s essay. Jeanette Hofmann, political researcher at Berlin’s Freie Univer­sität is specialized in digital­ization and democracy. She disagrees and instead empha­sizes the urgency of finding answers to the dilemma democracy finds itself in: Defending itself without compro­mising its principles. 

From Germany to the UK, citizens are now routinely targeted for their online state­ments, writes German-American political scientist Yascha Mounk in his analysis and concludes that freedom of expression in Europe is under threat.

Despite the war, Ukraine is moving toward European Union membership at an unprece­dented pace. For its accession to succeed, it needs decisive support from the EU – and a solution to circumvent the ongoing blockades imposed by Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, Sergiy Solodkyy argues in his policy brief.

Is it legit­imate to restrict political freedoms – such as freedom of speech or the right to build political parties and to run for elections – in order to protect national security and to defend liberal democracy against its enemies? This is of course one of the classic contro­versies of political theory and practice, as Ralf Fücks analyzes.

What is needed to quickly and indepen­dently provide supplies for the people in Gaza? And what should become of UNRWA? Kerstin Müller, Senior Fellow at the Center for Liberal Modernity, on the current situation in Gaza and the debates of the “Middle East Network — Ways out of War, Terror and Occupation” coordi­nated by LibMod.

In his book “Appeasing Hitler”, British historian Tim Bouverie examines the road to World War II, focusing primarily on the British and, to some extent, French reactions to Nazi Germany. In an interview with our author Till Schmidt, Bouverie reveals the parallels he sees between history and how Putin is being dealt with today.

The disman­tling of the U.S. Agency for Inter­na­tional Devel­opment (USAID) and the ensuing freezing of foreign aid are a cause for serious concern among civil society organi­za­tions in Eastern Europe. At...

Recent trends show that we will almost certainly exceed 1.5°C by the early 2030s, even if efforts to rapidly reduce emissions increase. In climate science, there is increasing discussion of “overshoot” – exceeding 1.5°C and then returning to it by the end of the century. Our factsheet by Andy Reisinger explains what the temporary temper­ature overshoot means for (ir)reversible conse­quences, what is needed to get back to 1.5°C and what needs to be done now to achieve this.

Beijing and Moscow are linked by a strategic partnership and a common adversary, “the West”. Senior Diplomat Johannes Regen­brecht analyzes for us what this alliance is about, what interests Xi Jinping is pursuing in Putin’s large-scale war against Ukraine and what challenges the Russian-Chinese alliance faces from an erratic president in the White House. The US and the European Union must be aware that restric­tions on Ukraine’s sover­eignty will set a signif­icant precedent not only for Europe, but also for the Indo-Pacific region. 

After the scandal in the Oval Office on February 28, it has been clear that Europe must take its own security into its own hands. The split in transat­lantic relations is becoming increas­ingly clear. For Europe, this is now the moment of truth. The outcome of the war in Ukraine will have a decisive influence on the future of our continent. These messages also shaped the LibMod conference “Ukraine and us. What next?” with Andrius Kubilius, EU Commis­sioner for Defense and Space, as well as repre­sen­ta­tives from the Baltic and Nordic countries, Poland and Ukraine on March 21 in Berlin.

Repression is inten­si­fying in Georgia: following an attempt to introduce a Russian-inspired foreign agents law, targeted attacks on civil society, protesters, and independent media have ensued. Civic space is increas­ingly being restricted – through surveil­lance, legal crack­downs, and the targeted perse­cution of critical voices. To withstand this crucial fight for democracy, Georgian civil society now urgently needs clear and decisive support from Europe. Ivane Chkhik­vadze from the Civil Society Foundation analyzes this escalation and outlines concrete expec­ta­tions towards the EU.

The EU risks losing Russia’s frozen assets as sanctions near expiration. Legal experts confirm trans­ferring these funds to Ukraine is lawful and would enforce Russia’s repara­tions oblig­ation. Seizing the assets could bolster inter­na­tional law and strengthen Ukraine finan­cially and military. Yulia Ziskina asks if the EU will act before it is too late.

In our first Transat­lantic Online Dialogue, hosted by Ambas­sador John Herbst together with Ralf Fücks (Center for Liberal Modernity), we had a rich and constructive discussion on the future of the transat­lantic partnership, thanks to Marie Mendras, Ambas­sador Daniel Fried, Michael Gahler, and Robin Wagner.

Trump celebrates himself above all in his State of the Union speech. His executive orders have not only plunged his country into uncer­tainty and insecurity since he took office. While Trump and his MAGA people are still on their honeymoon, the discontent with his policies – both domestic and foreign – is growing and the devas­tating conse­quences are increas­ingly being felt. Where is the US opposition and from where is there resis­tance from within the liberal, pro-democ­ratic ranks? Our political analyst, Jackson Janes, looks at the mood in his country from Washington. 

Over the heads of the Europeans, Trump and Putin are currently trying to divide up not only Ukraine, but also the dominance of “Greater Europe” between them. It is high time for the EU to enter the negoti­a­tions force­fully and with a clear concept. Germany must play a prominent role alongside France and Poland as soon as possible, including militarily, demands former German diplomat Johannes Regen­brecht. He analyzes the tradi­tions of thought that guide Trump and Putin and which need to be under­stood in order to decisively oppose their plans. 

It is her own personal story that gives hope: Israeli Tzipi Diskind was born in Jerusalem and is a member of the ultra-religious Haredim. According to the mother of four, her religious community could play a special mediating role in the conflict with the Pales­tinians. After all, they have a lot in common with religious Muslims, she says. Empathy and trust, above all, are needed so that dialog between Israelis and Pales­tinians can succeed, as Tzipi Diskind writes. She believes in a peaceful solution to the conflict — despite the extremely difficult political situation. 

Samer Abdel­razzak Sinijlawi grew up during the first intifada. He was imprisoned as a teenager. It was in prison that he got to know the other, the Israeli view of the conflict. Despite the current political situation, he believes in a peaceful solution between Israelis and Pales­tinians — with the help of a dialog based on trust and mutual empathy. The West can also contribute, he says.

When the Center for Liberal Modernity was founded in 2017, the “illiberal counter­rev­o­lution” (Timothy Garton Ash) was already in full swing. But the force with which autocratic and illiberal currents have since picked up speed exceeds our fears. Our inter­na­tional conference “Rethinking Liber­alism — Challenges to Liber­alism in Turbulent Times” took place just days before Trump’s second inaugu­ration, in the third year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and overshadowed by the electoral successes of right-wing populists across of Europe. 

Ukraine’s membership bid taken on real momentum since the country applied for EU membership in the early days of the full-scale invasion. Though Ukraine’s track record is generally positive, the devil is in the details. Difficult reforms, especially in the judiciary, require the attention and support of the EU and its member states.

The Center for Liberal Modernity cordially invites you to the inter­na­tional conference “Ukraine and Us. Where do we go from here?” in Berlin on 21 March, 2025.

Georgia’s democracy is on the brink of collapse following the fraud­ulent parlia­mentary elections in October 2024 and the violent crackdown by the ruling regime under the Georgian Dream party. In his policy brief, Sergi Kapanadze analyses how the country’s pro-European course has been derailed by systematic election manip­u­lation and repression. His analysis includes concrete recom­men­da­tions for the inter­na­tional community and a call to act now.

The EU accession country Moldova continues to face major security and economic challenges. Our expert, Natalia Stercul, APE, analyses the obstacles on Moldova’s path to Europe, as well as the political situation after the refer­endum and the presi­dential elections. She also warns of Russia’s increasing influence in the upcoming parlia­mentary elections in 2025, as the result of the parlia­mentary elections would have a signif­icant impact on the country’s EU integration.

The future of Europe is at stake in the face of Russian aggression. Germany and Poland should undertake a joint effort for a new European Russia policy, finding common ground despite their entrenched differ­ences. A new start can arise from shared insight and interests, if there is political will.

Populism is on the rise. What does that mean not only for the state of our liberal societies but also for the economy? Is economic growth thinkable under non-democ­ratic rule? Joost Haddinga explores the inter­change of the two. He is awarded first prize for his contri­bution to our essay compe­tition organized by WirtschaftsWoche and Center for Liberal Modernity.

Liberal democracy is navigating through turbulent times as Donald Trump’s renewed victory as well as the strength­ening of right-wing nation­alist forces in Europe make clear. Democrats and liberals must come out of the defensive; the open society needs new impetus. On January 16, together with inter­na­tional guests, we will be discussing what ideas and policies are needed and promising. 

Since 28 November, hundreds of thousands of people in Georgia have been demon­strating every day for democracy and closer ties with Europe – and have been beaten and harassed with massive violence in response. Georgia is at a historic turning point: Will it become Russia’s backyard or a member of free Europe?

Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu and his coalition partners are celebrating Donald Trump’s election victory. But the future US president could still cause headaches for the government in Jerusalem, as our columnist Richard C. Schneider writes.

As a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, Eastern European countries are stepping up their efforts to join the EU. At our inter­na­tional conference on 13 November, we will be discussing the oppor­tu­nities and challenges of the current EU enlargement policy with inter­na­tional experts.

Given the level of violence and hostility since 7 October, a political solution to the Israeli-Pales­tinian conflict seems a long way off. At the same time, it is more urgent than ever. Together with experts from the region, a new LibMod project aims to explore the oppor­tu­nities for a two-state solution and for security and cooper­ation in the Middle East. 

In the face of multiple crises and a depressing world situation, it is not surprising that many non-fiction books from this fall are deeply pessimistic. Unlike “On Freedom” by US historian Timothy Snyder. Our author Till Schmidt spoke with him about his latest book. 

“What peace? Ukraine and Us” — two questions that could not be more funda­mental were the focus of our inter­na­tional conference, the third since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022: What does the war in Ukraine mean for the West, and what goals must a future peace order fulfill?

Invitation to the 4th edition of the European Book Club on 07.11.2024: Karolina Wigura, Stefan Kolev, Ewa Atanassow and Jaroslaw Kuisz in conver­sation with Alan S. Kahan about his new book ‘Freedom from Fear: A History of Liberalism’. 

Death can be merciless. Our friend and colleague Iryna Solonenko was torn from life. She died after a short, severe illness, against which all the art of medicine could do nothing. We cannot believe it.

Hongkong-born political scientist and historian Steve Tsang is director of the SOAS China Institute at London University. His expertise includes gover­nance and security policies in China, Taiwan and Hongkong. In his latest book, he examines the Xi Jinping system. Interview: Till Schmidt.

Following the achieve­ments of the AfD — and the equally xenophobic and Russia-friendly BSW — in the state elections in Saxony and Thuringia, commen­tators are outdoing themselves in alarmism. Writing on the day after the election, Alan Posener takes a critical look at these developments.

The Center for Liberal Modernity cordially invites you to the inter­na­tional conference “What Kind of Peace? Ukraine and Us” on October 16, 2024.

The situation in the Middle East is at the brink of escalation. While observers are waiting for Iran and its proxies to start their announced attack on Israel, diplo­matic crisis inter­vention is running at full speed in order to prevent a full-blown regional confla­gration. In his interview with Till Schmidt, Ali Vaez analyzes the current situation.

On 9 and 10 July, the Center for Liberal Modernity organized the inter­na­tional conference “EU Enlargement — a geopo­litical necessity and the next steps for the EU candidate states” with its partner organi­za­tions in Tbilisi, Georgia.

As a result of Russia’s constant attacks on its energy sector, Ukraine suffers an ongoing severe energy shortage. Power outages are a daily occur­rence. This makes life difficult for the population, endangers...

The Ukrainian energy system is at the brink of collapse. Expert Oleksandr Vizir makes concrete proposals and outlines a plan to save the energy infra­structure of the country. Measures include rapid devel­opment of new gener­ation capac­ities as well as controlling state energy companies.

In Gaza, the Israeli army is currently fighting Hamas, while at the same time the ongoing conflict with Hezbollah in the north is at the brink of escalation. Is there a two-fronts war ahead for Israel? Till Schmidt talks with political scientist Matthew Levitt.

Despite clear polls and massive protests, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still in office. Richard C. Schneider on the exhaustion of the people in Israel, possible scenarios for the end of the governing coalition — and why Netanyahu is playing for time. 

Despite Chancellor Scholz’ Zeiten­wende, Germany’s actions since the Russian invasion of Ukraine have been dominated by hesitancy. The government often acts only when the situation on the battle­field is dramatic – or waits for decisions from Washington. Berlin seemingly hopes for an eventual ceasefire. But this only raises the threat of an “eternal provi­sional arrangement”, similar to the Cold War-era division of Germany, writes Nico Lange.

While Russia is preparing for a long war, the West remains hesitant and divided. At this year’s conference Russia and the West, partic­i­pants urgently called for a new European policy versus Moscow....

How does Ukraine view the Ukraine Recovery Conference and the results of EU elections? Why did Mustafa Nayyem resign as head of the State Agency for Restoration and Infra­structure? Marieluise Beck in conver­sation with Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, member of the Verkhovna Rada and Chair of the Committee of Ukraine’s integration into the European Union.

Despite the far-right’s gains, the overall picture remains mixed: signif­icant losses on the one hand, record results on the other — including for new far-right parties. Europe expert Nicolas Startin on difficult alliances, the voting behaviour of young people and the future of the Green Deal.

Ideas matter! That is why LibMod launched a new format: The European Book Club. The second discussion will be devoted to “The Blind­sided” by Sylvie Kauffmann.

Germany’s foot-dragging over military aid to Ukraine and the half-hearted imple­men­tation of Chancellor Scholz’ Zeiten­wende were subjected to sharp criticism at the Center for Liberal Moder­nity’s recent public discussion “Russia...

The war in Ukraine is a test for liberal democ­racies’ resolve and for their capacity to act. There is still time to turn the tide. Otherwise, future histo­rians will mark this...

Despite the ongoing war Ukraine is deter­mined to rebuild its aviation industry and enable its citizens to travel by air again. On 8 May, the Centre for Liberal Modernity discussed the future of the Ukrainian aviation industry with European and Ukrainian experts. The most urgent needs are: trainings for staff, funds (loans or direct aid) as well as air defence systems and munition. Lukas Daubner summarised the results of the discussion here.

Ukraine and some of her allies have been campaigning to use the frozen 200 billion dollars of Russian Central Bank money held at Euroclear in Belgium for aid to Kyiv,...

In April 2014, Russia began a covert armed invasion of the Ukrainian Donets Basin. However, many politi­cians, journalists and even some academics still follow the Russian propa­ganda narrative of an alleged “civil war” in eastern Ukraine at the time. An analysis by Julia Kazdobina, Jakob Hedenskog and Andreas Umland.

As Russia‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its third year, the question about the efficacy of sanctions is more pressing than ever: Have they been effective and what more can be done? Maria Shagina argues that it is best to focus on the Russian energy sector.

Former Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius has been a member of the European Parliament since 2019. As the parliament’s rapporteur on relations with Russia, he is a point man for promoting and...

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine also has far-reaching conse­quences for Moldova. Security expert Dumitru Minzarari analyzes the effects of Russian propa­ganda, political impli­ca­tions of the war in the run-up to the presi­dential elections, and the obstacles on the path to EU integration.

France’s position towards Russia has been ambivalent for decades, based in part on myths, projec­tions and unreal­istic ambitions. Emmanuel Macron’s policies vis-à-vis Moscow seem to embody this. At the beginning...

Since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine, Russian propa­ganda in the West and in Germany has taken on a different dimension. It is aimed at under­mining Western democracy, stirring up fear and weakening support for Ukraine. An article by Khatia Kikalishvili for GEOpolitics.

On 20 March, LibMod organised two expert discus­sions on carbon management and negative emissions in Brussels. Many decisions that are also crucial for Germany are currently being made there. All the more reason to open our eyes to the EU perspective.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz is putting Germans and all Europeans in danger. His current policy seriously risks defeat in Ukraine, which would embolden Moscow and raise the likelihood of a wider war with Russia in which the missiles could be falling on Cologne rather than Kyiv – An Open Letter to Germany’s Leaders from Inter­na­tional and German Experts.

Yossi Klein Halevi in an interview about the goals and motives of the far right in Israel’s government – and why the decision whether to exempt the ultra-Orthodox from military service could lead to the fall of the coalition.

On February 28th LibMod organised a workshop on the Green energy transition in Ukrainian commu­nities to discuss current legislative frame­works and practical local experi­ences of small distributed gener­ation in munic­i­pal­ities with lawmakers and experts from Ukraine and the EU. Decen­tralized energy can benefit commu­nities through strength­ening their resilience and security, reducing electricity costs, and increasing invest­ments and local ownership. Since the Russian war of aggression, municipal owned enter­prises and local ownership of renewable energy have become highly important. 

On February 28th, the Zentrum Liberale Moderne hosted its kick-off European Book Club event, featuring a thought-provoking discussion on the essay “Posttrau­matic Sover­eignty” by our Program Directors and Senior Fellows Karolina Wigura and Jaroslaw Kuisz. 

Donald Trump’s recent invitation to Russia to attack European allies shook NATO countries. How was this received in Asia? Security expert Chen-Yi Tu in an interview from Taiwan about reactions...

In December 2024, the EU made a geopo­litical decision and granted Georgia EU candidate status. In his policy brief, Sergi Kapanadze analyses what leverage the EU has to promote EU integration in Georgia and what signif­i­cance the upcoming parlia­mentary elections have in this regard.

Ukraine’s new law “On Amending Certain Laws of Ukraine with Regard to the Recon­struction and Green Trans­for­mation of the Energy System of Ukraine” opens up many oppor­tu­nities for the expansion of decen­tralised energy gener­ation and contributes to greater energy security. In his policy paper, Ukrainian energy law expert Oleksandr Vizir describes what this means for munic­i­pal­ities and what regulatory changes are needed to realise this potential.

What does Russia’s war against Ukraine mean for German-Polish relations? Inter­na­tional experts, academics, journalists and diplomats from Poland and Germany, Ukraine, Belarus and the USA discussed these and other questions at the fifth German-Polish Round Table in Wojnowice.

With its overar­ching theme “How fragile is the Putin system?” the recent meeting of LibMod’s Expert Network Russia at the Eastern Studies Centre in Warsaw sent a clear message: A fragile Russia...

Vladimir Putin’s brutal attack on Ukraine has changed Germany’s perspective of Russia by highlighting the country’s imperi­alism and Ukraine’s central role as the empire’s crown jewel.

Biomethane is an important element on the path to climate neutrality — thus the demand is great in Germany. This paper describes the potential that lies in the German-Ukrainian biomethane cooper­ation — and how existing hurdles can be overcome.

Gershon Baskin is one of the leading voices on the Middle East peace process and one of the few Israelis with direct contact to Hamas. For almost two decades, he was in contact with Ghazi Hamad, one of organ­i­sa­tion’s senior political leaders. In this interview, Baskin provides insights into Hamas’ ideology, its often presumed willingness to sign ceasefire agree­ments and into ways to combat the organi­za­tion’s cult of death.

A conver­sation between Kerstin Müller, former Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office, and Iran specialist Kasra Aarabi about 7 October, Iran as a sponsor of terrorist organi­za­tions in the Middle East, cooper­ation with Russia and the special role of the Iranian Revolu­tionary Guards. The EU should classify them as a terrorist organization.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its attempt to destroy Europe’s post-Cold War security order have triggered a series of crises that constitute the conti­nent’s most severe upheavals in more...

It is remarkable that Ukraine is making progress in imple­menting 7 EU Commission prior­ities despite Russia’s ongoing war of aggression. In his policy brief, Leonid Litra empha­sises why the EU enlargement and deepening process should take place simul­ta­ne­ously and argues why the EU should start accession negoti­a­tions with Ukraine this year.

On the 8th of November the European Commission will for the first time ever present an enlargement report with recom­men­da­tions on Georgia. A few weeks later, the European Council will take a political decision on whether Georgia will be granted candidate status or will have to wait until autumn 2024. In his policy brief, Ivane Chkhik­vadze analyses the current state of EU reforms and makes concrete recom­men­da­tions for action.

The Moldovan expert, Denis Cenusa, analyses in his polcy brief that the Republic of Moldova has made progress in imple­menting the 9 prior­ities of the EU Commission, but also points out the obstacles and short­comings, especially in the area of the judiciary and the fight against corruption. Never­theless, he recom­mends that, given the geopo­litical and strategic reasons, the EU should start accession negoti­a­tions with Ukraine and Moldova as well as with Georgia in December 2023.

How have relations between Ukraine and the EU developed one and a half years after Ukraine was granted the EU candidate country status? What are the prospects for 2024? A policy paper by Miriam Kosmehl, Iryna Solonenko, Susan Stewart, Liubov Akulenko, Piotr Buras and Snizhana Diachenko.

On 11 October 2023, an inter­na­tional conference organised by the Centre for Liberal Modernity shed light on the signif­i­cance of the Russian war of aggression for Europe. What can we do to ensure that a free and united Ukraine emerges from the war? How can war criminals be held accountable? How do we shape the European security order of the future?

Arkady Mil-Man was Israeli ambas­sador to Russia and now heads the Russia program at think tank Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv. In an interview with Till Schmidt, Mil-Man explains the role Russia played in Hamas’s attack on Israel and the relationship between the Russian and Iranian regimes.

Many Western observers seem to assume that the Polish opposi­tion’s victory in the parlia­mentary elections will mean a return to the pre-populist era before the PiS came to power. In their minds, Donald Tusk will quickly reverse eight years of right-wing policies, realign Warsaw with its Western partners, and bring Poland back into the happy fold of the European family.Five reasons why these expec­ta­tions are overblown. 

What oppor­tu­nities, problems and solutions do Ukrainian energy experts see for the sustainable recon­struction of their country’s energy system? The policy paper “Ukraine’s Path Towards a Sustainable Energy Sector” summarises the results of our survey study and describes policy recommendations.

“Poland was Ukraine’s staunchest ally. Why is it now turning into a bitter rival? War fatigue has set in – and nation­alist populists are stoking cross-border enmity in a brutal campaign for re-election.” An Op-Ed for The Guardian from Karolina Wigura und Jaroslaw Kuisz.

One year after Ukraine was granted EU candidate status, we invited high-ranking repre­sen­ta­tives of the EU and Germany as well as experts from leading European think tanks to take stock of devel­op­ments so far. The discussion in Berlin on 18/​19 September also looked at the prospects for 2024 and tried to identify necessary reforms.

Ukraine is fighting for its national survival and for its future as part of a united Europe, the transat­lantic alliance and the Free World. Europe and the United States must help...

Ecology and freedom: how can we reconcile the two? What does a liberal climate policy look like and what funda­mental questions will it have to answer? We will discuss these questions at our conference “Ecology & Freedom” on 29 November in Berlin. Among others with: Robert Habeck, Ursula Weidenfeld, Claus Leggewie, Michael Zürn, Ralf Fücks, Lukas Köhler, Andreas Jung and many others. 

Our major inter­na­tional conference “Ukraine and Us” in the Repre­sen­tation of the State of Hesse in Berlin generated a great deal of interest. More than 30 invited experts discussed the question “What does Russian aggression mean for Europe” in 7 panels in front of an audience of more than 160 people.

Israel and Iran: Iranian-Israeli author Meir Javendafar in an interview with Till Schmidt about the mutual perception of the two countries, the current situation of protests and Russia’s influence on the nuclear agreement.

Russia is unlikely to disin­te­grate soon, but its current leadership can no longer guarantee stability. The war against Ukraine and the Wagner mutiny have shown that Putin’s regime is both...

In an Op-Ed for spiegel.de, Ralf Fücks and Marieluise Beck present 10 propo­si­tions about what is at stake in Russia’s war against Ukraine and what needs to be done.

In the light of Vladimir Putin’s military failures in Ukraine and discus­sions about Russia’s possible future after Putin, there has been much discussion recently about Russia “disin­te­grating” or “falling apart”...

On the 24th of August Ukraine celebrates its Indepen­dence Day. An indepen­dence for which the country pays a high price. In his commentary, Vitaly Sych, editor-in-chief of the Ukrainian media house NV, explains why it will still be a day of hope.

Ukraine must rely on its partners for funding to win the war and rebuild the country. This year’s Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) was an oppor­tunity for Ukraine to build trust and trans­parency regarding its plans and goals for the funding. Now Ukraine should address its long-term challenges and its commitment to build a stable business environment, while preparing for the URC 2024. Despite or even because of the ongoing war Ukraine should make reforms its priority next to fighting Russia and liber­ating its territories.

Karolina Wigura at the LAMPA Conver­sation Festival in Cēsis, Latvia on “Democracy and its enemies: How Not to Lose the Battle”. Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine has created new geopo­litical and security realities that no longer leave Europe in peace. We are facing a decade of turbu­lence — how can we weather this storm? What are the threats to our democracies?

The failed Wagner rebellion has drasti­cally revealed the weakness of the Putin regime. Supporting Ukraine is now the West’s most effective lever to promote political change in Russia, argue Maria...

On June 15th, LibMod organized a Round Table on the prospects of a German-Ukrainian biomethane cooper­ation where the repre­sen­ta­tives from politics and business as well as experts from both countries discussed the potential of biomethane production in Ukraine, its role in facil­i­tating a green transition, and economic and legislative challenges for the trade development.

After granting Moldova EU candidate status, the EU now expects serious reforms — especially in the areas of de-oligarchization and anti-corruption. In a policy brief, Moldovan expert Denis Cenusa evaluates Moldova’s progress in meeting these requirements.

Center for Liberal Modernity together with our Ukrainian partners from Clean Energy Lab would like to invite you to an online discussion on “Small distributed gener­ation and reforming the energy system of Ukraine” June 28th 14–15:30 CET.

In response to the Russian invasion and the attacks on the energy infra­structure, Ukraine’s government has priori­tised energy decen­tral­i­sation as one of the direc­tions for improving energy security and resilience. The author of the brief, Oleksii Romanov, covers the current state of the industry and the stimu­lation system, analyses the plans for reforming this system, drafts the principles to guide future policy and the potential areas of German-Ukrainian cooper­ation for the decen­tral­i­sation of Ukraine’s energy system.

Blowing up of the Kachowka Dam repre­sents a crime against humanity. The people in the flooded areas are literally faced with nothing — and yet want to keep fighting. Marieluise Beck was in Kherson with Ukrainian aid organizations.

Another Russia is possible: On 5/​6 June, repre­sen­ta­tives of the Russian opposition and the EU discussed the perspec­tives of a post-imperial and democ­ratic Russia. LibMod Director Ralf Fücks summa­rizes the four key takeaways.

The geostrategic potential of the Black Sea region has often been overlooked. Natalia Stercul analyses why this is changing in the face of the war, what economic perspec­tives are open to the EU and what part the Republic of Moldova plays in this.

More than 120 experts from a dozen countries attended the fifth edition of our conference “Russia and the West” on 20 April in Berlin. The partic­i­pants, including prominent Russian opposition figures in exile, discussed future policy towards Moscow and post-Putin scenarios.

Der russische Kernen­ergiemo­nop­olist Rosatom scheint von Sanktionen verschont zu bleiben – trotz seiner Rolle bei der Besetzung des Kernkraftwerks Sapor­ischschja und der faktischen Erpressung Europas. Wie die Lage in Sapor­ischschja und anderen AKWs in der Ukraine ist, welche Sanktionen gegen Rosatom verhängt werden sollten und wie sich der Westen von der russischen Atomin­dustrie unabhängig machen kann – darüber disku­tierten bei LibMod am 27. April Anton Hofreiter, Victoria Voitsitska und Rebecca Harms. 

This policy brief gives an overview of the current state of the Ukrainian energy system and the challenges that emerged because of the war, but also the chances for the sustainable recon­struction of the energy sector. In order to modernise the economy on a sustainable basis Ukraine needs signif­icant private invest­ments. At the same time, the large-scale recon­struction of the energy sector offers oppor­tu­nities for German and EU companies to partic­ipate in the “green” devel­opment of the Ukrainian economy.

In this policy paper, Alisa Muzergues and Pavel Havlíček analyse the multi­lateral formats and cooper­a­tions in Central and Eastern Europe in which Ukraine partic­i­pates — or aspires to participate.

What are the EU’s options regarding Ukraine’s integration into the European Defence Union? What measures are relevant for security on the ground? Iulian Romanyshyn explores these questions in the new LibMod policy paper.

The EU wants to promote the rule of law in Ukraine, but what external measures are needed to achieve this and what are the Ukrainian realities? This is analyzed by Maryna Rabinovych in the LibMod policy paper.

The West must consis­tently punish sanction viola­tions, lower the price ceiling for Russian oil and make itself independent of the Russian nuclear industry — Sergiy Petukhov on the effect and future of sanctions against Russia.

During an online discussion, Polish expert Maria Domanska and Russian opposition leader Vladimir Milov presented their policy papers about future scenarios for Russia. Here is what they had to say.

What future for Russia should we strive for? Our authors Vladimir Milov and Maria Domanska strongly argue that the West must not fear a collapse of the regime. Positive change in...

Russia Policies and Zeiten­wende: The Change We Need

PUBLIC CALL Demon­stration and rally on the anniversary of the Russian invasion

The EU must become an autonomous foreign policy actor and use its enlargement policy to address the challenges posed by Russia’s aggression. A Policy Paper by Laure Delcour and Kataryna Wolczuk.

The war in Ukraine is putting the future of Russia more and more in our hands. A decisive victory of Ukraine makes an end to the Putin regime more likely. The West needs to prepare for this moment because it may offer a short oppor­tunity to encourage the country to embark on a more democ­ratic and law-abinding path, writes Maria Domanska.

Putin has turned Russia into a dicta­torship, but the country is by no means destined to be a dark imperi­al­istic power. The Free World needs to support Russia’s next attempt for democ­ratic change instead of snubbing it, writes Vladimir Milov.

Lukaschenka präsen­tiert sich seinem Volk als Garant des Friedens, sein Regime scheint gefestigt – solange Russland den Krieg in der Ukraine nicht verliert. 

Russia’s shocking invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has changed the geopo­litical realities in Europe, spelling the end to Russia’s position as Europe’s most important energy supplier. As a result, today Russia has the dubious distinction of being the most sanctioned nation in the world’s history.

During an Inspiring Round­table last week, we discussed the West’s future Russia policy on the basis of four key countries’ approach — Poland, France, Germany and the US. Some short takeaways:

French policy towards Russia was based on self-serving delusions that led to dangerous failures and exacer­bated Putin’s paranoia. The West needs to overhaul its policies and build a strong security system in Europe and beyond.

Appeal by more than 70 writers, histo­rians, security experts and scholars on Eastern Europe

Russia’s war against Ukraine has upended not just relations with the West but is testing the inter­na­tional system as a whole. The urgent need for new thinking has prompted the Center of Liberal Modernity to set up its Expert Network Russia, which met in Vilnius under the headline “Rethinking Russia” for the first time on 31 October.

“Rethinking Russia”: On 31 October, we opened our new project “Expert Network Russia” with a conference in Vilnius. Here is a selection of photographs from the event.

The Center for Liberal Moder­nity’s Expert Network Russia kicked off last week with a one-day meeting in Vilnius. In his opening remarks, Ralf Fücks reminded everyone why we need to Rethink Russia.

Do Russian war crimes constitute genocide? What oblig­a­tions does this impose on the inter­na­tional community? Experts from politics, academia and civil society discussed these questions at the inter­na­tional conference “Inter­na­tional Law against Genocide”.

What’s at stake for the US and what impact of the outcome of the midterms will have – an Interview with Clay Risen

Our new project “Expert Network Russia” kicked on October 31 with an inaugural meeting in Vilnius. Network members will gather in the Lithuanian Seimas to discuss how the West should deal with an increas­ingly total­i­tarian and neo-imperial Russia.

Poland’s complex relationship with Russia is deeply inter­twined with Germany and Ukraine, Janusz Reiter writes.

Germany’s decades-long policy of political partnership with Russia is in tatters — instead of a friendly democ­ratic country it got an aggressive dicta­torship. To avoid future failures, we need strength and resilience, writes Ulrich Speck.

It is time to think about a Russia after Putin. If defeated in Ukraine, condi­tions in the country will also change. Whether for the better or the worse is an open question. Without a departure from the imperial delusion, Russia will remain in the eternal vicious circle of war politics and author­i­tarian rule.

The US tried to integrate Russia with the liberal inter­na­tional order, but Putin destroyed the basis for cooper­ation by disman­teling democracy and seeking domination of his neighbors, writes Dan Fried.

Half a year after the start of the large-scale Russian invasion, the West should continue to support Ukraine with further arms deliveries.

Under Orbán’s pressure, the EU-Commission has removed the Russian Patriarch Kirill from the sanctions list – a fatal under­es­ti­mation of the powerful role of the Russian-Orthodox Church in the war against Ukraine.

Liberal democracy is under pressure worldwide. At our conference “Rethinking Liber­alism, Renewing Democracy” on 24 November in Berlin and online, we discussed with inter­na­tional guests from academia, politics, think tanks and business how liber­alism and liberal democracy must evolve in order to sustain. 

The tensions between Taipei and Beijing are also the result of an US non-commitment, according to Bonnie Glaser, Director of the German Marshall Fund’s Asia Programme.

China reacted to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan with military exercises. Christina Sadeler spoke to I‑Chung Lai, a senior adviser to the Taiwan Thinktank about Taiwanese perspec­tives on the visit and...

Since the protests in August 2020, the illegit­imate leadership of the Republic of Belarus sees itself at war against the “collective West”, but it is waging the battle against its...

The war in Ukraine will throw Russia into an economic crisis, which it will try to combat through fossil fuels reversing the started green transition

Marieluise Beck is asked if she changed her mind about German foreign policy after recent arms deliv­eries. She also speaks about mistakes made by previous govern­ments and former Chancellor Schröders...

The Tehran-Moscow axis seems threat­ening, but it was born out of necessity and does not change much for Israel and the Middle East. However, the Russia-Israel relationship has already deteriorated...

In the once secular US, religious funda­men­talists are increas­ingly gaining influence, as most recently shown by the abortion ruling. Trump has appointed 120 conser­v­ative judges during his term in office...

In Sri Lanka, demon­strators have taken over the presi­dential palace, partly because the prices of wheat and petrol have risen immea­surably as a result of the war in Ukraine. Russia is...

In Israel, Chinese invest­ments are increas­ingly viewed criti­cally, partly because of China’s relations with Iran. On the other hand, China offers enormous economic oppor­tu­nities, according to Galia Lavi of the...

Chancellor Scholz supports Ukraine only so much that it can defend itself with diffi­culty, but cannot launch a counter­attack. But if Putin is not defeated in Ukraine, there will be no...

What happened in Srebrenica 27 years ago is now occurring in Bucha, Mariupol and other areas of Ukraine conquered by Russia. An essay by Marieluise Beck

Oil and gas revenues continue to fill the Russian war chest. In order to damage the Russian economy severely, a drop in the supply of products for the IT sector would...

Open letter to the German Government and the Bundestag: Russian warfare fulfils the central charac­ter­istics of genocide. Germany must fulfil its “Respon­si­bility to Protect”.

The granting of candidate status does not mean accession: it is above all a recog­nition of the progress Ukraine has made in reforms and a great symbolic gesture to a people who are...

EU research has shown that a credible membership perspective is an effective means of anchoring liberal democracy from the outside. That is why Ukraine must now be granted candidate status.

As part of our project “Eastern Part­ner­ship Plus” we publish a series of input papers on the topic: Per­spec­tives and Path­ways to EU Can­di­date Status for Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic...

As part of our project “Eastern Part­ner­ship Plus” we publish a series of input papers on the topic: Per­spec­tives and Path­ways to EU Can­di­date Status for Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic...

As part of our project “Eastern Partnership Plus” we publish a series of input papers on the topic: Perspec­tives and Pathways to EU Candidate Status for Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic...

On 31 May, we discussed the future of the Russian economy after the war in Ukraine with Dr Vladislav Inozemtsev, Angelina Davydova, Dr Janis Kluge and Michael Harms.

The Ukrainian TV channel “1plus1” broad­casted live on May 8th from Berlin. During the interview with Marieluise Beck one of the topics was the role of NATO in the war...

Hong Kong’s free society is being destroyed by China’s National Security Laws. With the election of John Lee as Chief Executive, a nightmare has come true for Hong Kong’s democracy movement....

After the Bundestag’s decision to supply heavy weapons to Ukraine, a contro­versial debate has flared up about Germany’s attitude towards the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine.  The signa­tories call on Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the German government to ...

Just a day after the first videos of the Bucha massacre were posted to social media, on 3 April 2022, Hungary’s FIDESZ-Christian Democ­ratic alliance won its fourth consec­utive landslide victory with 54,10%,...

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is a turning point for Europe and the whole world. What are its policy impli­ca­tions? Are the sanctions imposed so far suffi­cient to contain the...

So far, the people of Ukraine have borne the burden of the war all alone. For the German precept of “never again”, this is a reality shock, comments Marieluise Beck.

More than 80 scholars, politi­cians, business­people and civil society repre­sen­ta­tives have signed an appeal to the German government to stop oil and gas imports from Russia. Remarkably, the coalition of...

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is reaching a perilous stage. The West needs to step up efforts to make Putin’s war unwinnable. Conces­sions will only prolong his regime and increase Moscow’s appetite...

Moldova, a country in the heart of Europe, its current leadership and first and foremost its people, opened not only its borders but also their homes for the suffering neigh­bours. The...

Military expert Gustav C. Gressel on the war in Ukraine: The outcome will depend in part on whether the West supplies Ukraine with the weapons it needs. It is also...

On 22 March, at 2 pm, the Center for Liberal Modernity in cooper­ation with Naftogaz Ukraine and the Ukrainian Feder­ation of Employers of the Oil and Gas Industry invites you to...

Based on six criteria of the United Nations Convention against Genocide, Russia is committing genocide in Mariupol, says Inter­na­tional law expert Otto Luchterhandt.

By waging a war against Ukraine, Putin has badly miscal­cu­lated. The Russian leader has become victim of his own propa­gan­distic visions and failed to antic­ipate the Western respo­nse, writes Vladislav Inozemtsev.

How should we deal with a repressive and confronta­tional Russia? Join our annual discussion “Russia and the West” on 24 March, which will be held jointly with the Munich Security Conference...

We must stop funding Putin’s war with our energy imports

French election campaigns are usually desper­ately navel-gazing. Foreign policy issues are all but absent from the debate. And even in ‘ordinary’ times, all mainstream evening news programmes consider inter­na­tional news...

Political scientist Oleksandra Keudel warns of European and global conse­quences in the case of Russian attacks on Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

Statement on the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Two prominent members of the Ukrainian parliament appeal to their colleagues in the German Bundestag to stand by Ukraine in the face of Russian threats of war.

After failing to agree on exclusive spheres of influence in Europe with the Trump admin­is­tration, the Kremlin is challenging Washing­ton’s ability to keep unity among Euro-Atlantic allies and protect European...

Finally: Here are the Insights and Highlights of our Inter­na­tional Conference “Rethinking Liber­alism, Renewing Democracy”!

How should the West counter Russian threats of war? We document Ralf Fücks’ OP ED at DIE WELT, 21.12.2021.

This Wednesday, the Eastern Partnership Summit will take place for the first time in four years. On this occasion, Iryna Solonenko, Senior Fellow at the Center for Liberal Modernity, sheds...

As 2021 draws to a close, we look back on this year’s important events. Among them is the Crimea Platform, which was launched in August at Ukraine’s initiative to shore up...

The political crisis in Georgia continues after the municipal runoff elections. The close election result exacer­bates the polar­ization between the supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition...

On 22 October, the foundation stone for a new memorial to the 1941 massacre was laid in Odesa. The future memorial is the result of an initiative of the Centre for...

The consid­erable break­throughs in the EU-Ukraine economic agenda have been harmed by sluggish political devel­opment, partic­u­larly concerning the rule of law. The judicial reform, anti-corruption efforts, independent and efficient law-enforcement...

  On October 5, 2021, the Center Liberal Modernity held the public discussion on prior­ities for cooper­ation with Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova under the Eastern Partnership Plus project. The discussion...

Europe is suffering from high gas prices. At some gas hubs, they increased more than 250% since January, and already have impact on the retail prices for house­holds in many...

In the LibMod Policy Paper: Assessment of progress in the fight against corruption in the EU-associated states of Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, our author Dr. Khatia Kikalishvili argues that insufficient...

When Angela Merkel took office as German Chancellor in 2005, she was better prepared for the challenges on the EU’s eastern border than any other West European head of government....

In the LibMod-Policy-Paper: Towards a European Climate Diplomacy, Dr. Georg Zachmann analyses the extension of the European Green Deal to the three associated states of the EU (Ukraine, Georgia and the...

The reactions in Ukraine to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recent visit to the United States vary widely and are often politi­cized. They range from state­ments that the visit lifted relations to...

A year ago protests began against electoral fraud in Belarus. Dictator Lukashenko responded with a wave of harsh state violence, which led to the country being further isolated and sanctioned internationally....

The impact of the Biden-Merkel-Agreement on Nord Stream 2 in Ukraine is simply disas­trous. Especially among western oriented, reform-minded people trust in Germany and the US fell at a record low. China...

A commentary by Ralf Fücks on Putin’s latest historical policy manifesto, published by the Kremlin.

In this analyses Dmytro Shulga argues for the EU and specif­i­cally Germany to consider it’s own strategic gains in offering Ukraine a way to full EU membership over an extended amount...