Germany, Russia, and the Rise of Geo-Economics by Stephen F. Szabo

There is a growing tendency among many Western nations to defer to Germany the responsibility for dealing with an ever more recalcitrant Russia. Despite the perils involved, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with her Russian language skills and East German upbringing, has been obliging. Indeed, Russia’s policies towards the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) often have their first port of call in Berlin. This has made the state of German–Russian relations highly consequential for the West and Stephen Szabo’s new book remarkably germane to current events, particularly as it relates to the ongoing saga in Eastern Ukraine.