An expert round­table at the Center for Liberal Modernity discussed the deepening ties between Russia and China. The event, held in cooper­ation with the New Eurasian Strategies Centre (NEST), conve­niently coincided with Vladimir Putin’s latest visit to Beijing.

At the Munich Security Conference, John Lough spoke with Ralf Fücks about the evolving triangle between China, Russia, and Europe. The conver­sation explores the strategic logic behind the Beijing–Moscow partnership, Europe’s struggle to assert its agency, and Germany’s search for a new economic and security strategy. Can Europe turn a moment of geopo­litical pressure into one of strategic renewal? 

Russia could hardly carry out its war against Ukraine without China’s techno­logical and economic support. We discussed the impli­ca­tions for Western policy­makers at a joint event with the New Eurasian Strategies Centre (NEST) held at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Konstantin Eggert reports.

Europe remains dependent on US military power to effec­tively deter Russia. But Washington is no longer a reliable partner committed to the defence of its European allies. Former German diplomat Johannes Regen­brecht looks at the ongoing negoti­a­tions and makes recom­men­da­tions how Europe’s untapped economic and military potential can be put into action.

Russia continues to pose a huge security challenge for Europe. Every year, the Center for Liberal Modernity invites leading experts to discuss the options for policy­makers at its “Russia and the West” conference. Our programme director Maria Sannikova’s analysis sums up the assess­ments of our last conference.

Russia is waging its full-scale war against Ukraine for four years already, but Germany and Europe are still strug­gling to find the right answers to the threat posed by Moscow. At this year’s panel discussion ‘Russia and the West’, partic­i­pants called for deter­rence and containment – but also for keeping contact with those in Russia who will be needed after the end of the regime.

Almost four years after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, historian Jan Claas Behrends (ZZF/​European University Viadrina) takes a histor­i­cally informed look back—and warns against illusions about quick negotiated solutions. He shows how imperial tradi­tions, violent politics, and the structure of Putin’s regime are shaping the war and why conces­sions to Moscow encourage escalation.

Inter­na­tional Expert Network Russia Annual Conference RUSSIA AND THE WEST: Rethinking Europe’s Security – Key Elements of a New Russia Strategy

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...

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.

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....

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...

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,...

Despite the war of annihi­lation against Ukraine, many Western companies are holding out in Russia. Some do not feel affected because their products (food and medicines) are not covered by...

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...

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...

For many years, Poland and Germany pursued different policies regarding Russia and Ukraine. While Warsaw advocated harsher sanctions against Moscow and more support for Kyiv, Berlin was tradi­tionally more reluctant. Despite Zeiten­wende, differ­ences linger. Can the two countries synchronize their approach?

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.

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...

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...

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 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”...

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...

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

In Germany, a majority favour closer ties with Russia despite new autho­ri­anism under Putin, military aggression against Ukraine and bombing in Syria. Where does the desire for a special relationship with Russia...