Episode Notes:

For seven months, the countries of the European Union have watched a war unfold on their continent. Leaders and voters alike have come together in support of Ukraine, deploying diplomatic, financial and military tools to resist Russia's invasion. But with mounting economic challenges, political divisions and a looming energy crisis, questions remain about whether their solidarity can last. To answer these questions, and to better understand how European thinking on foreign policy and defense has evolved since February, we've been joined by a number of distinguished observers from across the continent.

On September 30th, Nicholas Danforth spoke with Ian Lesser, vice president at The German Marshall Fund of the United States and executive director of their Brussels office. Ian offered an overview of where Europe stands today, and his thoughts about how European leaders are responding.

This is the first episode of "Winter in Europe," a special members-only podcast series.

[1:08] Europe’s political and economic challenges

[2:00] The energy issue

[3:27] Decline of centrist politics 

[4:28] Institutional response

[6:10] European defense

[9:08] Ukraine and European defense thinking

[10:26] American attitude towards Europe