NATO and EU defence policy
CER podcast: The Russia-Ukraine crisis as seen from Kyiv and Paris
16 February 2022
Ian Bond speaks to Marie Dumoulin and Khrystyna Parandii about the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
Ask CER - Episode 3: Strategic autonomy, the EU's taxonomy and the French election
26 January 2022
You asked, we answered: the third episode of our ‘Ask CER’ podcast series.
Europe tests the waters for a stronger defence policy: EU leaders must agree on where threats to the continent originate
13 August 2020
Financial Times
For the past four years, the EU has trumpeted its plans to invest in defence. This summer’s budget negotiations were a test of its ambitions. Now that the dust is settling, where is EU defence headed?
Europe must take on its own defense responsibilities
03 July 2020
Defence News
As they look at the state of their coronavirus-hit economies and U.S. President Donald Trump’s poor standing in opinion polls, many European leaders may be tempted to put on hold any plans to meet NATO’s target of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense.
Internal strife: NATO's greatest enemy is itself as it turns 70
05 April 2019
Euronews
NATO’s first Secretary General, Lord Hastings Ismay, famously said the alliance’s purpose was “to keep the Russians out, the Americans in and the Germans down.”
Stammtisch: Going the distance - Transatlantic relations today
05 April 2019
Germany has headed to New York to take its seat on the UN Security Council - while Barack Obama has come to Germany. Damien McGuinness and DW's Fabian von der Mark chat US-German relations with former US government advisor Julie Smith and NATO expert Sophia Besch from the Centre for European Reform.
NATO at 70: Where next?
03 April 2019
Politico
As member nations gather to celebrate NATO's 70th anniversary this week, Politico asked experts to forecast what the military alliance will look like 10 years from now.
The Zeitgeist: German and European security at a crossroads
21 March 2019
In this episode of The Zeitgeist, Dr Jana Puglierin (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik e.V. ) and Sophia Besch (Centre for European Reform ) join Jeff Rathke to talk about the direction Germany’s security policy is taking. They cover four fundamental questions: What is Germany’s role in European security? Are the changes in German policy adequate for the changing international security environment? How are Germany and France seeking to strengthen their co-operation? And how can the United States and Germany manage their frictions in the interest of a stronger transatlantic relationship?
All hands on deck
27 February 2019
Berlin Policy Journal
Concerns about fragmentation shape Berlin’s understanding of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy. That carries risks, especially with Brexit approaching.
Brexit negotiations in the field of defence: Lessons learnt and moving forward
08 January 2019
Federal Academy for Security Policy
It is clearly in Britain and the European Union’s mutual interest to continue working closely together on defence after Brexit.
NATO's cyber pledge
21 November 2018
E!Sharp
NATO’s primary and most urgent cyber task is the protection its own communications systems and networks. But the alliance also offers training opportunities and tried to make information sharing between allies easier, in order to help capitals to protect their sytems and ‘critical’ networks from attacks.
BBC Newsnight: NATO summit
11 July 2018
Sophia Besch, a research fellow at the CER spoke to Newsnight (from 31:57 mins) from the NATO summit.
Judy Asks: Is Trump wrong about NATO?
11 July 2018
Carnegie Europe
A selection of experts answer a new question from Judy Dempsey on the foreign and security policy challenges shaping Europe’s role in the world.
BBC World Service: Trump: NATO Allies 'delinquent'
11 July 2018
Sophia Besch a research fellow a the Centre for European Reform spoke to the BBC World Service about how US relations with its NATO allies are “at an absolute low point. The European allies seem traumatised and shocked. …I personally think there is very little that they can do to convince Trump of the NATO value but we will see how they get on over the next 48 hours.” (from 37:53 mins).
Voice of America: NATO summit overshadowed by defence spending spat
11 July 2018
Singling out Germany isn't necessarily fair, said defence analyst Sophia Besch of the Centre for European Reform.
Deutsche Welle: NATO desperate to avoid rerun of disastrous G7 summit
10 July 2018
Sophia Besch, a research fellow with the Centre for European Reform (CER), spoke to Deursche Welle about the possibility that a Trump-Merkel clash could derail the summit. "[Trump] is framing the 2 per cent as the golden ticket for any European leaders to get into his good graces, and that's why everyone is so worried. (From -3: 18 mins)
CER Bulletin podcast: Transatlantic relationship; Brexit and financial services; UK-EU defence negotiations
14 June 2018
CER researchers brief podcast listeners on three of the most important topics for Europe this month.
CER podcast: NATO and the transatlantic defence relationship
23 May 2018
Recorded at the Daimler US-European Forum: Sophia Besch talks to Constanze Stelzenmüller and Camille Grand about changes in the relationship between the US and its European NATO allies.
As a former diplomat to the US, I know how Britain needs to respond to Trump after his Iran deal decision with realism
10 May 2018
The Independent
European leaders have to deal with the president they have, not the one they wish they had.