Experts & Staff
Gustav Gressel

Gustav Gressel

ECFR Alumni · Senior Policy Fellow

Areas of expertise

Eastern Europe; Russia; armed conflict and military affairs; defence policy; missile defence; missile proliferation

Languages

German and English (fluent), Spanish and Polish (conversational)

Biography

Gustav Gressel was a senior policy fellow with the Wider Europe Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations’ Berlin office. His topics of focus include Russia, Eastern Europe, and defence policy.

Before joining ECFR, Gressel worked as a desk officer for international security policy and strategy in the Bureau for Security Policy of the Austrian Ministry of Defence from 2006 to 2014, and as a research fellow of the Commissioner for Strategic Studies with the Austrian MoD from 2003 to 2006. He was also a research fellow with the International Institute for Liberal Politics in Vienna. Before his academic career he served five years in the Austrian Armed Forces.

Gressel holds a PhD in Strategic Studies at the Faculty of Military Sciences at the National University of Public Service, Budapest and a Masters Degree in political science from Salzburg University. He is the author of numerous publications regarding security policy and strategic affairs and a frequent commentator on international affairs. His opinions have appeared in media such as the New York Times, the Guardian, Die Welt, NZZ, Bild, the DiplomatNew Eastern Europe, Foreign Policy, Gazeta PrawnaRzeczpospolita, Kyiv Post, the Moscow TimesCapital, the Telegraph, the EconomistNewsweek, Deutsche Welle, RTL, al Jazeera, TVP, TRT, Polskie Radio, RFI, FM4, Ukraine Today, and Radio Free Europe.

Minsk, the end-game

Neither Ukraine nor the West can leave the framework of the Minsk agreement, even if they know that it is not working at all

Is Europe losing Ukraine?

As Germany's politicians return to their constituencies, a summer of resentment against Europe is brewing in Ukraine

Berlin and the Minsk trap

Almost five months on since Minsk II was agreed, it is clear that none of the early conditions have been met

The State of the War

The situation for civilians in Eastern Ukraine is dire

How Riga was perceived in Berlin

Many in Eastern Europe viewed the Riga Summit as a disappointment, but what did Germany make of it?

Weak government, strong society

In post-Maidan Ukraine, failing governmental action is substituted by voluntary work. While the Ukrainian state is failing in many aspects, Ukrainian society is very strong. 

Kyiv and the regions

Ukraine has been an over-centralised state since its independence from the Soviet Union, but now the notion of “decentralisation” has taken hold in even tiny villages

Publications

Articles

Ukraine’s survival: Three scenarios for the war in 2024

Russia has gained the upper hand in its war on Ukraine. To reverse Moscow’s progress, the West will need to invest more in supporting Kyiv. With this in mind, here are three scenarios for what could happen in 2024

After Nagorno-Karabakh: How Europeans can strengthen Armenia’s resilience

The question of Nagorno-Karabakh is unlikely to be discussed any time soon after Azerbaijan took control of the region in September. Europeans should now diplomatically engage with all sides to prevent further escalation, while supporting Armenia’s domestic political stability and strengthening its defence capabilities

The case for sending fighter jets to Ukraine

Ukraine needs fighter jets to counter Russia’s changing military approach. The US should learn from last year’s delay over tank deliveries and approve their release as soon as possible

Podcasts

Events

In the media