TEC - News Page
Would Putin Attack a NATO Member?
The probability that Putin would challenge a NATO member militarily is not high, but his history of miscalculations and overinflated ambition should remind the alliance not to underestimate the risks.
![Thousands of demonstrators opposing the bill on 'transparency of foreign influence' gather in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, on May 11, 2024.](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/2024-06/gettyimages-2152244551.jpg?h=a141e9ea&itok=WK4lOMqO)
Kathryn Stoner, Mosbacher Director of CDDRL, discussed the politics and complexities of the anti-foreign agent law and its implications for Georgia's future.
Jacob Anderson ’24
Jacob Anderson is graduating this year with a bachelor's in international relations and a minor in global studies (with a specialization in European studies).
![Michael McFaul [left], the director of the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, speaks with Josep Borrell [right], High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, during an event at Stanford University on May 13, 2024.](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/2024-05/josep_borrell_eu_democracy_hero.png?h=c4d9845d&itok=ShnVp-DM)
Borrell emphasized the need for EU countries to adapt to the changing geopolitical landscape and increase their strategic responsibility, whether in responding to Russian aggression in Ukraine, the crisis in Gaza, or competition with China.
![Maria Popova presents in a REDS Seminar co-hosted by CDDRL and The Europe Center](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/2024-05/dscf7643.jpg?h=d9b15396&itok=Ej1A2i3J)
While some observers have claimed that Ukraine’s corruption renders it unprepared for EU accession, Maria Popova’s research suggests otherwise.
![Eugene Finkel presents during a REDS Seminar co-hosted by The Europe Center and CDDRL on April 18, 2024.](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/2024-04/dscf7488_copy.jpg?h=08f9e40a&itok=6VCv5Q5o)
According to Eugene Finkel, the Kenneth H. Keller Associate Professor of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, Russia’s recurrent attacks against Ukraine can be traced to issues of identity and security.
![Elaine Treharne](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/2024-04/elaine_treharne.jpeg?h=e0226331&itok=JSwX2OYV)
The Roberta Bowman Denning Professor of Humanities, professor of English, and professor, by courtesy, of German studies and of comparative literature, and The Europe Center faculty affiliate is recognized for her work with Stanford alumni, including speaking at Reunion Homecoming and leading Travel/Study trips across the globe.
During a visit to the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová reminded the Stanford community that the stakes of the war in Ukraine are high and will impact democracies far beyond Eastern and Central Europe.
![Pauline Jones REDS Seminar](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/2024-01/dscf1337_copy.jpg?h=bf17bc1e&itok=jS-T_miC)
Professor of Political Science Pauline Jones explored how Russia’s renewed aggression in Ukraine will affect Moscow’s relations with its Eurasian neighbors in a recent REDS Seminar talk, co-sponsored by CDDRL and TEC.
Political scientist Daniel Treisman argues that claims of a global democratic decline and authoritarian backsliding are exaggerated and lack empirical evidence.
Many argue that EU and NATO enlargement produced a populist backlash in Europe. Evidence suggests otherwise.
![Crew onboard a 'Terminator' tank support fighting vehicle during a Victory Day military parade in Red Square marking the 75th anniversary of the victory in World War II, on June 24, 2020 in Moscow, Russia.](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/2023-06/russia_military_tanks_getty_hero.png?h=c4d9845d&itok=BtSsL_7D)
Scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies offer insight on what Yevgeny Prigozhin’s mutiny may signal about Russia, Putin’s power, and the war in Ukraine.
![President Sauli Niinistö of Finland participates in a panel of Finnish and Stanford scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/2023-03/finland_niinisto_panel_hero.png?h=a1e358cb&itok=pfF8gn71)
President Sauli Niinistö of Finland Discusses Security Cooperation and Defense with FSI Scholars
As the war in Ukraine continues to reshape security needs in Europe and globally, scholars from the Freeman Spogli Institute agree that Finland can play a unique leadership role in defense and cybersecurity alliances.
![A delegation from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly visits the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies.](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/hero/nato_delegation_hero.png?h=c4d9845d&itok=VTyU9TIA)
FSI Director Michael McFaul, Kathryn Stoner, Francis Fukuyama, Scott Sagan, Anna Grzymala-Busse, and Marshall Burke answered questions from the parliamentarians on the conflict and its implications for the future of Ukraine, Russia, and the global community.
Rose Gottemoeller, Steven Pifer, Francis Fukuyama, and Michael McFaul discuss the complex life and legacy of the last leader of the Soviet Union.
![Ian Morris](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/hero/screen_shot_2022-07-13_at_10.42.28_am.png?h=2cfc51f5&itok=JyEgAlKZ)
What Britain’s geography means to the British people is key to understanding why they voted to leave the European Union, Stanford classics Professor Ian Morris asserts.
Zac Stoor '22
Zac Stoor is graduating this year with a degree in political science and minors in global studies (with a specialization in European studies) and international relations.
Amelia O'Donohue '22
Amelia O'Donohue is graduating this year with a degree in earth systems and a minor in global studies (with a specialization in European studies).
![President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine speaks at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/hero/zelensky_stanford_encina_address_hero.png?h=c4d9845d&itok=Mg1vHjrG)
President Zelenskyy outlined the steps his administration is undertaking to bring increased digitization to Ukraine, curb corruption and create more equitable access to public services for more Ukrainians.
During the 2020-21 academic year, 49 Stanford students, including TEC's Zac Stoor, worked in virtual internships in 19 countries through the university’s Global Studies Internship Program.
![Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya discusses the future of democracy in Belarus with a roundtable of Stanford scholars.](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/hero/belarus_tsikhanouskaya_hero.png?h=c4d9845d&itok=5ES4aoN7)
Democratic leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and her delegation joined an interdisciplinary panel of Stanford scholars and members of the Belarusian community to discuss the future of democracy in Belarus.
![Flags of the United States and Russia](https://fsi9-prod.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/styles/360x244/public/hero/russia_united_states_flags_summit_hero.png?h=a8844ed6&itok=LIdbKJKN)
Scholars at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies hope that President Joe Biden’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin will lay the groundwork for negotiations in the near future, particularly around nuclear weapons.
The Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science, known by many as the “Nobel Prize in Political Science,” is being awarded for the 27th consecutive year. This year’s recipient is David D. Laitin, for his “original and objective explanation of how politics shapes cultural strategies in heterogeneous societies.”