Scroll to the top

{{ subpage.title }}

Where the US is gaining and losing influence
Where the US is gaining & losing influence | Quick Take | GZERO Media

Where the US is gaining and losing influence

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take: Hi everybody, Ian Bremmer here and a happy Monday from Vancouver. I'm here for the TED Conference. I've never done the main TED conference before, believe it or not, but giving a speech tomorrow and so came in a little early to meet some of all of these crazed public intellectuals and see what they have to say about the world. Should be kind of interesting, kind of fun.

But thought I would talk a bit about where US relations are with other countries in the world. I got a question from someone over the weekend that said, "Are there any countries where the United States actually has better relations today than they did ten years ago?" And I think this reflects, this wasn't an anti-Biden or pro-Trump sensibility, it's more the world feels like it's heading in a difficult direction, America losing influence. How do we think about that?

Read moreShow less
European & US leaders resolute as threat of Ukraine war grows
Ukraine War Threat Looms As European & US Leaders Show Unity In Munich | Europe In :60 | GZERO Media

European & US leaders resolute as threat of Ukraine war grows

Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sweden, is joined by Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, to provide perspective on the Ukraine crisis at the Munich Security Conference.

Carl Bildt: This is the most dramatic conference that I think every one of us has experienced. I mean, there seems to be significant probability of war breaking out in Europe within days. We have the Ukraine president, we'll see if he will come during the day, but we have an assortment of European leaders and vice president of the United States. And everyone is discussing, can anything more be done to prevent war? And what really do we do if it breaks out?

Ian Bremmer: And it's kind of funny. The theme of the conference this year is helplessness. And when I flew in, I'm like, "That's a horrible theme for the conference." But actually, as it plays out, it's starting to feel a little bit more on target.

Read moreShow less
Europe and US plan harsh measures if Russia takes action against Ukraine
Europe & US Plan Harsh Measures if Russia Takes Action Against Ukraine | Europe In :60 | GZERO Media

Europe and US plan harsh measures if Russia takes action against Ukraine

Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sweden, shares his perspective from Europe this week from Brussels.

Are Europe and the US really aligned when it comes to reckoning what the Russians might be up to towards Ukraine?

Well, first, we don't really for certain know what Russia is up to. The military preparations for an invasion are there. There's no question about that. But exactly how he wants to handle this politically is somewhat uncertain. He has made demands. He's put down the gauntlet against the West in a way that is absolutely extraordinary. So exactly how this will end, we don't know.

Read moreShow less
The US and EU further talks on technology governance
The US and EU Further Trade and Technology Talks | Cyber In :60 | GZERO Media

The US and EU further talks on technology governance

Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:

Hello, and welcome to the new Cyber In 60 Seconds. My name is Marietje Schaake, and you're finding me at the Democracy Forum in Athens. So, from my hotel room, I'm looking back at the Trade and Technology Council that took place in Pittsburgh this week.

For those who missed it, this gathering brought together high-level officials from the Biden administration and the European Commission. It was a long-anticipated meeting that was supposed to reach conclusions about a shared governance agenda for tech-related issues like AI, data, semiconductors, and foreign direct investments. But the Trade and Technology Council was also expected and hoped to mark a new start after very difficult years across the Atlantic. I think we all remember the years when President Trump was still in the White House. And thankfully, the August fallout and French anger did not end up pouring cold water over the events. Although, the general sentiment in Europe that the honeymoon weeks are over is widely shared.

Read moreShow less

Do Euro warriors need Captain America?

Should Europe depend on the United States for its defense, as it has done since the end of World War II? Or do changing times demand that Europe develop an independent military capability? In other words, does Europe need "strategic autonomy?"

This debate, which began in the Cold War's early days, is now heating up again across Europe.

Read moreShow less
Looking ahead to a post-Merkel Europe
Ian Bremmer: Looking Ahead to a Post-Merkel Europe | Quick Take | GZERO Media

Looking ahead to a post-Merkel Europe

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take:

Hi, everybody. Ian Bremmer here. Happy week to all of you and thought I'd talk a little bit about Germany and Europe. Because of course, we just had elections in Germany, 16 years of Angela Merkel's rule coming to an end - by far the strongest leader that Germany has seen post-war, Europe has seen since the collapse of the Soviet Union. And indeed in many ways, the world has seen in the 21st century. Xi Jinping, of course, runs a much bigger country and has consolidated much more power, but in terms of the free world, it's been Angela Merkel.

Read moreShow less
The US-EU honeymoon is over
Ian Bremmer: The US-EU Honeymoon is Over | Quick Take | GZERO Media

The US-EU honeymoon is over

Ian Bremmer's Quick Take:

Hi everybody. Happy Monday. Ian Bremmer here with your Quick Take. Plenty going on between the United States and its allies. You have seen the fallout from the US announcement of this new defense pact with the Australians and the United Kingdom called AUKUS. That's great, always like USMCA, we take the acronyms, and we try to find a way to make it comprehensible. And of course, the Chinese are not enormously happy about this, because it is a military plan to put more American material in their backyard. And the day after the Chinese announced formerly that they wanted to apply to the CPTPP, which is the major trade deal that the Americans initially were the architect of and then under Obama said, "No, we can't get it done." And then Trump pulled out. That's unfortunate and long-standing and not surprising. And China won't be able to get in, in all likelihood, because it's a heavy lift, even though Vietnam did make it, but state capitalism and TPP doesn't really work very well together.

But the more interesting and salient point for the headlines is that the French government was absolutely incensed. So, what's going on here? Why are the allies having such difficulty?

Read moreShow less
Europe in "shock & disbelief" over US withdrawal from Afghanistan
Europe in “Shock & Disbelief” Over US Withdrawal From Afghanistan | Europe In :60 | GZERO Media

Europe in "shock & disbelief" over US withdrawal from Afghanistan

Carl Bildt, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sweden, shares his perspective from Europe:

What has been the European reaction to what's happening in Afghanistan?

Well, I think shock and disbelief is the appropriate expression for it. Shock and disbelief over the Americans just cutting out running, although you might argue that we should have seen it coming. And then, of course, a lot of long-term questions that will play out over time. Can the United States be relied upon, right or wrong? That question is going to linger for quite some time.

Are the EU nations prepared to accept Afghan refugees?

Well, the priority at the moment must of course be those that have worked for our forces, our development efforts, our embassies, and to get them out. As otherwise, Europe already has a substantial number, as a matter-of-fact Afghans are the number one nation when it comes to regular migration. Last year our figures for 2020 was 34,000 coming in. There are nearly 150,000 of them in Germany, there are 30,000 in Sweden. This is to compare with single digit thousand numbers in the US. So there will be an enormous effort to try to help displaced refugees in the region, and then the somewhat more managed global handling of the refugee issue will be called for.

Subscribe to our free newsletter, GZERO Daily

Latest