Germany’s Changed View of Ukraine Driving Closer Military Cooperation
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine’s ability to defend itself and innovate on the battlefield, and U.S. unreliability if not outright hostility toward Germany have transformed Berlin’s view of Ukraine …
Merz’s Initiative on Ukraine’s EU Membership
Will He Follow Through? Chancellor Merz sees anchoring Ukraine in Europe as a security imperative for both sides and wants to move forward quickly to do so. He will try …
When Your Ally Is Not an Ally Anymore
Recently, the United States has seen immense turnover in policies and practices toward the LGBTQ+ community. One such reversal was the exclusion of transgender persons from the U.S. military. Alone, …
Germany and Foreign Military Intervention
With wars raging in Ukraine, the Middle East, and elsewhere, Germany is responding with seriousness and urgency. Berlin has committed to spending 3.5 percent of its GDP on defense by …
Episode 148: Weaponized Interdependence in a Changing International System
The United States has exploited strategic networks and dependencies to its advantage in foreign policy. As the international system has transformed, more countries seek to play at the game of …
Recent Authors
AGI provides knowledge, insights, and networks as tools to solve the challenges ahead.
Support Our Work
The Bundeswehr as the Center of Europe’s Conventional Forces
Germany’s new military strategy unveiled in a paper of the Federal Ministry of Defense dated April 2026 is an answer to Trump’s challenge of NATO and America’s more fundamental cultural …
AGI Asks: Assessing the First Year of the Merz Government
Friedrich Merz was sworn in as Germany’s chancellor on May 6, 2025. The country faces its biggest challenges in a generation: a sluggish economy, Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine, a …
U.S. Troop Withdrawal from Europe: AGI Expert Analysis in the Media
On April 29, U.S. President Donald Trump said the administration was reviewing troop numbers in Europe, and on May 1, the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany. …
Episode 145: Transatlantic Fractures and the Future of U.S. Relations with Europe
The United States is reevaluating its place in the world, not only because of President Trump. The metamorphosis in American politics is affecting U.S. foreign policy profoundly, as well as …
The With-Limits Partnership
The March 3 visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to Washington was planned well before the launch of the American and Israeli war on Iran. While the U.S. military action …
Deterrence Under Uncertainty
Europe’s Long-Range Strike Dilemma A Familiar Dilemma in a New Strategic Era The American security umbrella has leaks, the chancellor says. At first glance, this line could easily be mistaken …
Merz Aims to Improve Coordination, Shore up Party Support with Chancellery Shakeup
In office just eight months, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has replaced his once closest aide as part of an effort to demonstrate his focus on economic reform, improve coordination between …
Episode 139: The German-Polish Relationship amid Changing European Security Challenges
The European security landscape is shifting. The United States is pressuring Europe to manage the defense of its region, and many NATO allies have growing doubts about the long-term reliability …
A Disastrous Year in German-American Relations
2025 will surely go down as the worst in German-American relations since World War II. To be sure, there have been many deep disagreements since the formation of the German-American …



