The Skripal affair in the UK, followed by the imposition of new sanctions by a group of European countries, the US and Canada, has confirmed once again the downward spiral in relations between Russia and the West. At the moment there is scant communication between the EU and Russia and no strategy for dealing with the increasingly difficult neighbour. At the same time, the EU and the US are in deep crisis over the future of the liberal order and the capacity to adapt to globalisation and digitalisation. Despite reaching agreement on sanctions towards Russia, the EU and the US harbour doubts over their ability to address the challenges in Eastern Europe together. The ongoing discussions on Nord Stream 2 or the sanctions policy demonstrate how divided the EU is towards a more assertive Russian leadership. This event brings together leading experts to discuss the design of a new strategic approach towards Russia. We further wish to elaborate how to sustain a consensus between the EU and the US. This discussion takes place in the context of the recent release of two books – Eastern Voices and the Russia File – which have been published, respectively, by the Robert Bosch Center at the German Council on Foreign Relations (Berlin) and the Center for Transatlantic Relations at SAIS, Johns Hopkins University (Washington, D.C.) with support of the Robert Bosch Foundation.
Registration & sandwich lunch from 12.30 – Meeting from 13.15 to 14.30