Episode 96: The United States and Germany in a Shifting Global Order
Andreas Kluth
Bloomberg
Andreas Kluth is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering U.S. diplomacy, national security, and geopolitics. Previously, he was editor-in-chief of Handelsblatt Global. Prior to joining Handelsblatt, he spent 20 years as a correspondent for The Economist in London, Hong Kong, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and Berlin.
Jeff Rathke
President of AGI
Jeffrey Rathke is the President of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC.
Prior to joining AICGS, Jeff was a senior fellow and deputy director of the Europe Program at CSIS, where his work focused on transatlantic relations and U.S. security and defense policy. Jeff joined CSIS in 2015 from the State Department, after a 24-year career as a Foreign Service Officer, dedicated primarily to U.S. relations with Europe. He was director of the State Department Press Office from 2014 to 2015, briefing the State Department press corps and managing the Department's engagement with U.S. print and electronic media. Jeff led the political section of the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur from 2011 to 2014. Prior to that, he was deputy chief of staff to the NATO Secretary General in Brussels. He also served in Berlin as minister-counselor for political affairs (2006–2009), his second tour of duty in Germany. His Washington assignments have included deputy director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs and duty officer in the White House Situation Room and State Department Operations Center.
Mr. Rathke was a Weinberg Fellow at Princeton University (2003–2004), winning the Master’s in Public Policy Prize. He also served at U.S. Embassies in Dublin, Moscow, and Riga, which he helped open after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mr. Rathke has been awarded national honors by Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, as well as several State Department awards. He holds an M.P.P. degree from Princeton University and B.A. and B.S. degrees from Cornell University. He speaks German, Russian, and Latvian.
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The international order built by the United States after World War II is under strain, and the consensus about America’s role that used to unite U.S. political leaders and the public is fraying. Across the Atlantic, Germany, uneasily facing a return to hard power politics represented by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has instituted a “sea change” in its foreign and security policy. European voters are electing more populist and nationalist parties. Will the U.S. commitment to shaping the international order persist, and how must Europe and Germany adjust their strategic thinking in this pivotal moment?
Host
Jeff Rathke, President, AGI
Guest
Andreas Kluth, Columnist, Bloomberg Opinion
This podcast is supported by the United States diplomatic mission in Germany.
