
Can Europe Step Up for Ukraine?
02/12/25 • 31 min
After three years of war on its soil, Ukraine is grappling with manpower shortages and increasingly uncertain Western military support in the face of Russia’s continued aggression.
Rym Momtaz sat down with Yuliya Bidenko and Eric Ciaramella to unpack the situation on the ground and the war’s broader implications for European security and the transatlantic alliance.
[00:00:00] Intro, [00:02:01] The Military Situation on the Ground, [00:11:17] Ukraine’s Mobilization and Societal Priorities, [00:18:43] Europe’s Role in Ensuring Ukraine’s Security.
Yuliya Bidenko, February 8, 2023, “How Ukraine Forged a Culture of Resilience,” Europe Inside Out, Carnegie Europe.
Eric Ciaramella, January 30, 2025, “Triangle of Sadness: Prospects of Trump-Putin-EU Peace Talks on Ukraine, with Eric Ciaramella,” Carnegie Politika, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
Eric Ciaramella, December 5, 2024, “Rational Security: The "Ukraine in the Membrane" Edition,” Lawfare.
Rym Momtaz et al., December 5, 2024, “Taking the Pulse: Are Information Operations Russia’s Most Potent Weapon Against Europe?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Rym Momtaz et al., January 9, 2025, “Taking the Pulse: Can Poland’s EU Presidency Be Credible Without Deploying Troops to Ukraine?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Rym Momtaz et al., November 21, 2024, “Taking the Pulse: Would Freezing Ukraine’s NATO Membership Process Advance Peace?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Rym Momtaz, November 5, 2024, “Behind the Scenes, Preparations for Russia-Ukraine Negotiations,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
After three years of war on its soil, Ukraine is grappling with manpower shortages and increasingly uncertain Western military support in the face of Russia’s continued aggression.
Rym Momtaz sat down with Yuliya Bidenko and Eric Ciaramella to unpack the situation on the ground and the war’s broader implications for European security and the transatlantic alliance.
[00:00:00] Intro, [00:02:01] The Military Situation on the Ground, [00:11:17] Ukraine’s Mobilization and Societal Priorities, [00:18:43] Europe’s Role in Ensuring Ukraine’s Security.
Yuliya Bidenko, February 8, 2023, “How Ukraine Forged a Culture of Resilience,” Europe Inside Out, Carnegie Europe.
Eric Ciaramella, January 30, 2025, “Triangle of Sadness: Prospects of Trump-Putin-EU Peace Talks on Ukraine, with Eric Ciaramella,” Carnegie Politika, Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
Eric Ciaramella, December 5, 2024, “Rational Security: The "Ukraine in the Membrane" Edition,” Lawfare.
Rym Momtaz et al., December 5, 2024, “Taking the Pulse: Are Information Operations Russia’s Most Potent Weapon Against Europe?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Rym Momtaz et al., January 9, 2025, “Taking the Pulse: Can Poland’s EU Presidency Be Credible Without Deploying Troops to Ukraine?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Rym Momtaz et al., November 21, 2024, “Taking the Pulse: Would Freezing Ukraine’s NATO Membership Process Advance Peace?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Rym Momtaz, November 5, 2024, “Behind the Scenes, Preparations for Russia-Ukraine Negotiations,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Previous Episode

Can the EU Outmaneuver Russia Around the Black Sea?
Russia’s belligerence and political interference in some of the Black Sea littoral states threaten the EU’s influence in the region.
Rym Momtaz sat down with Dimitar Bechev and Thomas de Waal to discuss how the union can respond to Moscow’s destabilizing actions and keep the enlargement process on track.
[00:00:00] Intro, [00:02:13] The Political Situation in Georgia and Moldova, [00:10:04] The EU’s Enlargement Strategy, [00:20:14] Europe’s Role in the Black Sea
Rym Momtaz et al., December 5, 2024, “Taking the Pulse: Are Information Operations Russia’s Most Potent Weapon Against Europe?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Dimitar Bechev, November 25, 2024, “Illiberal eastern Europeans look to play their Trump card,” Financial Times.
Dimitar Bechev, Richard Giragosian, Gorana Grgić, and Batu Kutelia, December 5, 2024, “In Brief: Russia’s Hybrid War,”War on the Rocks.
Dimitar Bechev, Iliriana Gjoni, October 24, 2024, “All Is Not Well With EU Enlargement to the Western Balkans,” Carnegie Europe.
Dimitar Bechev, June 27, 2024, “Between the EU and Moscow: How Russia Exploits Divisions in Bosnia,” Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
Dimitar Bechev, June 20, 2024, “Can EU Enlargement Work?,” Carnegie Europe.
Thomas de Waal, January 16, 2025, “Moldova’s Gas Crisis Is Europe’s Headache,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Thomas de Waal, October 31, 2024, “Georgia’s Dangerous Moment Is a Challenge for the EU,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe.
Thomas de Waal, October 9, 2024, “Can Georgia Stay on Its European Path?,” Europe Inside Out, Carnegie Europe.
Thomas de Waal, June 5, 2024, “Opportunistic Georgia joins Europe’s illiberal club,” Financial Times.
Thomas de Waal, October 9, 2024, “Between Russia and the EU: Europe’s Arc of Instability,” Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center.
Next Episode

Can Europe Keep Democracy Alive?
One of the Trump administration’s first moves has been the dismantling of USAID, an agency that has been critical for international development and democracy promotion.
Rym Momtaz sat down with Thomas Carothers and Richard Youngs to discuss the implications of U.S. cuts to foreign aid and Europe’s role in keeping the global democracy agenda alive.
[00:00:00] Intro, [00:01:11] Trump’s Cuts to USAID, [00:10:07] The Need to Rethink the International Democracy Agenda, [00:20:33] Defending Democracy from Authoritarian Regimes.
Thomas Carothers, March 3, 2025, “Does U.S. Democracy Aid Have a Future?,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Thomas Carothers, February 4, 2025, “The Heartless Upheaval of American Foreign Aid,” Emissary, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Thomas Carothers, March 3, 2025, “Prospects for US Democracy Support During the Second Trump Presidency,” European Democracy Hub.
Thomas Carothers, Richard Youngs, May 2, 2024, “European and U.S. Democracy Support: The Limits of Convergence,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Richard Youngs, February 26, 2025, “European Reactions to the U.S. Retreat From Democracy,” Carnegie Europe.
Richard Youngs, February 26, 2025, “No world order: Europe needs more radical thinking for the Trump era,” The Conversation.
Richard Youngs et al., January 23, 2025, “European Democracy Support Annual Review 2024,” Carnegie Europe.
Richard Youngs, Elene Panchulidze, December 2, 2024, “Playing Defence: Europe and Democracy,” Survival.
Richard Youngs, September 25, 2024, “The European Union is becoming too obsessed with defence,” The Conversation.
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