Push back, contain, and engage: How the EU should approach relations with Russia
The bloc should reframe how it speaks of human rights and democracy, while developing closer security and military links with select neighbours
Experts & Staff
Carl Bildt
Co-chair of ECFR’s Council
Former Prime Minister and Former Foreign Minister of Sweden
Biography
Carl Bildt served as both prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden. Under his leadership, the government initiated major liberal economic reforms and negotiated Sweden’s accession to the EU. Previously, he served as EU special envoy to the former Yugoslavia, high representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, UN special envoy to the Balkans, and co-chair of the Dayton Peace Conference. He also chaired the Global Commission on Internet Governance. In 2021, he was appointed WHO special envoy for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator.
The evolution of US strategic priorities
The Biden administration’s Interim National Security Strategic Guidance reflects an evolution in US strategic thinking and policy priorities
Bosnia to war, to Dayton, and to its slow peace
It will be difficult to sustain progress for Bosnia or the region without a credible and clear EU accession process
The Armenian model for Belarus
While many Western observers have seized on Ukraine's 2004-5 and 2014 revolutions to understand the mass protests in Belarus, a much better analogy is Armenia's democratic transition in 2018.
In times of strategic confusion, deeper dialogue is a must
The relationship between the EU and India has vast potential in areas ranging from multilateral institutions to global health
Hashim Thaci should resign
The indictment for war crimes against Kosovo President Hassim Thaci helpfully upends the poorly conceived US initiative to reconcile Serbia and Kosovo. But it fatally delegitimates Kosovo’s current leadership
Quarantimes: Thinking big in times of covid-19
Carl Bildt, Co-chair at ECFR and former prime minister of Sweden, launches the new series ECFR Quarantimes: Thinking big in times of covid-19, setting out Europe's role in the new international system of a post-corona world
Europe risks irrelevance in the age of great power competition
An unpredictable US, rising China and revanchist Russia pose serious strategic challenges
From plaything to player: How Europe can stand up for itself in the next five years
Introduction The last five years have not been kind to the European Union’s foreign policy. The EU has been less relevant, less active, and less…
Ukraine’s new front is Europe’s big challenge
There’s plenty Europe should do to push back against Russia’s latest attack on Ukraine
Publications
Push back, contain, and engage: How the EU should approach relations with Russia
The bloc should reframe how it speaks of human rights and democracy, while developing closer security and military links with select neighbours
The evolution of US strategic priorities
The Biden administration’s Interim National Security Strategic Guidance reflects an evolution in US strategic thinking and policy priorities
Bosnia to war, to Dayton, and to its slow peace
It will be difficult to sustain progress for Bosnia or the region without a credible and clear EU accession process
From plaything to player: How Europe can stand up for itself in the next five years
Introduction The last five years have not been kind to the European Union’s foreign policy. The EU has been less relevant, less active, and less…
Dayton revisited: Bosnia’s peace deal 20 years on
Two decades after the end of the Bosnian war Carl Bildt considers the successes and failures of Dayton
Articles
Rough seas: A scorecard of the EU’s last institutional cycle
As Brussels gears up for the next institutional cycle, it should first take stock of the last five years of EU foreign policy
Revanchism at prime time: Vladimir Putin, Tucker Carlson, and Ukraine
Vladimir Putin’s ramblings to a compliant Tucker Carlson exposed the true motivations for Russia’s war against Ukraine
The challenges ahead: What to watch for in 2024
Amid the ongoing political turmoil and with half of the world’s population going to the polls, the EU needs to prepare for another stormy year
A war of wills: Europe’s peace mission in 2024
Russia will continue its war on Ukraine for as long as it can. Europeans need to make it clear that their will to support Kyiv will not falter
What now?
In this age of danger, we will need a strong EU and a strong NATO
Afghanistan: How it could have been different
Nothing was inevitable about the Taliban reconquering of Afghanistan. But in the end the US lost what minimal strategic patience it had
The Balkans non-paper and the dangers of Plan B
Only a firm framework of integration can bring long-term stability to the Balkans – this is as relevant today as it was in 2003, when EU leaders offered membership to all countries in the region
The Armenian model for Belarus
While many Western observers have seized on Ukraine's 2004-5 and 2014 revolutions to understand the mass protests in Belarus, a much better analogy is Armenia's democratic transition in 2018.
In times of strategic confusion, deeper dialogue is a must
The relationship between the EU and India has vast potential in areas ranging from multilateral institutions to global health
Hashim Thaci should resign
The indictment for war crimes against Kosovo President Hassim Thaci helpfully upends the poorly conceived US initiative to reconcile Serbia and Kosovo. But it fatally delegitimates Kosovo’s current leadership
Podcasts
New era, new alliance: NATO, Sweden, and Finland
What can Sweden and Finland offer NATO? And are they worried about the Kremlin’s threats to attack their countries?
Events
14 Dec
From surviving to thriving: How Europe should support Ukraine in the long war against Russia
To brace for a “Long War”, Europe needs to be ready to take its lessons learned from more than half a year of the war to heart and deliver enduring support to Ukraine
23 Jun
Anti-Coercion Instrument: How the EU can counter sanctions, boycotts and economic blackmailing
This event is the second webinar in a two-part series on current developments in the global use of economic coercion
In the media
Carl Bildt on what Trump’s dealmaking record means for Ukraine
Carl Bildt’s op-ed in Foreign Policy on Ukraine’s Kursk offensive
Carl Bildt’s piece in Project Syndicate on JD Vance and Ukraine
Carl Bildt, Mark Leonard, and Ivan Krastev contribute on analysis on the future of Europe with a less reliable America
Carl Bildt on Biden’s performance in the presidential debate