Moscow’s mixed messages — Ukraine’s Unity Day — Think tanker Heather Conley

We hear from our reporters in Moscow and Kyiv about the continued tensions over Ukraine. Our special guest is Heather Conley, the new president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, on transatlantic ties and relations with Russia.

POLITICO's Andrew Gray in Brussels and Matthew Karnitschnig in Berlin are joined by Eva Hartog in Moscow, who explains how Vladimir Putin's domestic messaging on Ukraine is wildly different from what we hear in the West. (You can read Eva's latest reporting on the frustrations of anti-war Russians here.) And POLITICO's Hans von der Burchard calls in from Kyiv, where Unity Day, which was supposed to rally Ukrainians around the flag in the face of Russian aggression, was more like any other day.

Heather Conley, president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, explains to POLITICO's David M. Herszenhorn why she thinks it's time for a new relationship between the U.S. and Europe. She also gives her take on why dialogue may not be enough for the West to reconcile with Putin, and emphasizes the significance of recent joint efforts by Russia and China to limit the scope of NATO — signaling a "major restructuring of the international system."

Conley also shared two reading recommendations for our listeners. The first book sheds light on the important historical relationship between George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower. The other reveals more about Vladimir Putin's network and the people who have helped him succeed.

And our podcast panel has some recommendations of their own. Eva endorses a book of essays by an expert on the relationship between Ukraine and Russia. Matt goes for a German TV series set in Berlin's Russian underworld. And Andrew recommends the Oscar-nominated Kenneth Branagh movie that's a homage to Northern Ireland's capital city.

In this episode, we also recommended the following articles for further reading:

"In diplomacy, Europe’s most powerful ambassador means business" by Matt Karnitschnig

"Top court clears EU to cut funds over rule-of-law concerns" by Lili Bayer

"Europe remembers its forgotten war" by David M. Herszenhorn

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