German Foreign Policy After “Zeitenwende” (Change of an Era)
Project Expert
About the Project
Russia’s war against Ukraine has resulted in the most profound transformation of German foreign policy since the end of the Cold War. In security and defense policy, Germany has announced its ambition to assume a leading military role in Europe and has significantly increased its defense spending. In energy policy, Germany has radically reduced its dependency from Russian gas and oil and bid farewell to its past approach of “change through trade” with Russia. At the same time, Germany is among the major military supporters of Ukraine. However, for Germany’s Central and Eastern European partners, these steps are too little, too late. They perceive Germany as falling short of its promises at a crucial time for Europe’s security. This project explores the implications of Germany’s foreign policy transformation for its leadership role in Europe and for transatlantic relations, with a special focus on the lessons learned from Germany’s past Russia policy for its future China policy. The Project on German Foreign Policy After “Zeitenwende” will produce a series of op-eds, articles, and roundtable meetings to explore what lies ahead for Germany's new foreign policy.
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The German economy remains heavily dependent on China, its largest trading partner, despite mounting geopolitical tensions between the West and Beijing.
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Germany is providing critical weapon systems to Ukraine in the grinding war with Russia, but it remains reluctant to lead on European security.
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