Recording here:

Dear friends,

While the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is becoming more and more brutal, the discussion about the consequences of a possible short-term end of energy imports from Russia – by Putin or as a further sanction by the West – also continues.

But exactly how bad would an end to energy imports from Russia be for Germany and Europe? And just as important: would it end the war?

That’s what we want to discuss with distinguished guests and you in our next English-German Europe Calling webinar.

When? Wednesday, 6 April 2022, 20:00 – 22:00 hrs CEST

Here is what it is about:

Part 1: The economist controversy

What would a sudden halt in the supply of energy from Russia mean for the economy and consumers? Renowned economists have come up with some very different and controversial answers. With two of them, we want to understand more precisely where the differences and similarities lie in their assessments:

  • Prof Monika Schnitzer, Chair of Comparative Economics at LMU Munich and member of the German Council of Economic Experts (“Wirtschaftsweise”).
  • Prof Christian Bayer, economics professor at the University of Bonn and co-author of the CESifo study on an import ban on gas from Russia. 

Part 2: Will an energy stop end the war?

Despite the differences in analyses, nearly everyone agrees: if a stop of energy imports by the EU would end the war against Ukraine faster, then it could make sense – and thus outweigh the heavy economic costs. To that end, we speak with a guest who knows Russian economics and politics intimately and can assess the effects on Putin’s war:

  • Prof Sergei Guriev, economics professor at Sciences Po Paris, former chief economist at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and rector of the New Economics School, Moscow

Apart from economic analyses, we also want to look at the European and security political aspects. What do Eastern European countries expect from Germany and the European partners? How are the current plans for a limited embargo seen in the countries neighbouring the warzone? We speak with:

  • Dr Volker Weichsel, Political scientist, slavicist and editor of the the magazine “OSTEUROPA” (EASTERN EUROPE)

The webinar will be translated into English and German.

In solidarity,

Maximilian Fries and everyone at Europe Calling