Episodes

  • Ukraine, US, and Europe: The race for a truce before Christmas

    Ukraine, US, and Europe: The race for a truce before Christmas
    Dec 12 2025
    Could it really happen? Why you shouldn’t hold your breath for a quick ceasefire in Ukraine: In this episode of Berlin Briefing, host Michaela Küfner discusses the current flurry of diplomacy between Washington, Berlin, Kyiv, and Moscow over Trump’s revised plan for Ukraine, and what the new US security strategy means for Europeans and the future of the transatlantic partnership.
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    34 mins
  • Why Germany’s far-right AfD just founded a new youth wing

    Why Germany’s far-right AfD just founded a new youth wing
    Dec 4 2025
    The far-right AfD has launched ‘Generation Germany,’ a new youth wing aiming to groom future party leaders. In this Berlin Briefing episode, host Nina Haase and journalists Matthew Moore and Hans Pfeifer unpack its founding, the protests, ties to extremist networks, and what it means for Germany’s political landscape.
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    36 mins
  • A rift in the alliance? Trump’s Ukraine peace plan and Germany's response

    A rift in the alliance? Trump’s Ukraine peace plan and Germany's response
    Nov 28 2025
    "Russia’s wish list"- that’s how many in Washington and Berlin labelled Washington’s initial 28-point plan toward peace in Ukraine, when it first became public. DW’s Nina Haase and Michaela Küfner discuss with Dominik Tolksdorf (DGAP) how a total sell-out of Europe was prevented, and how deep this latest crack in US-German relations now runs in the transatlantic alliance.
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    30 mins
  • DW interview with German chancellor Friedrich Merz

    DW interview with German chancellor Friedrich Merz
    Nov 24 2025
    As negotiations over a 28-point plan for Ukraine intensify, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warns of a "deep threat" to Europe’s security architecture. Merz outlines Europe’s leverage, Africa’s growing role in global politics, and speaks about his hopes that China could push Russia toward ending the war.
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    6 mins
  • Young Vs Old? How a fight over pensions is shaking the German government

    Young Vs Old? How a fight over pensions is shaking the German government
    Nov 21 2025
    18 young conservative MPs have rebelled against the pension reform - threatening the coalition between conservatives and social democrats. Is this Friedrich Merz’s biggest stability test yet? DW’s Michaela Küfner, Nina Haase and Steven Beardsley break down the demographics, the economics, and the political drama behind Germany’s pension showdown.
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    38 mins
  • Conscription comeback: Will Germany find 80.000 new soldiers?

    Conscription comeback: Will Germany find 80.000 new soldiers?
    Nov 14 2025
    It’s a deal: Germany’s coalition has agreed to restart military conscription from January 2026. DW's Berlin Briefing hosts Michaela Küfner and Nina Haase speak to Marcel Bohnert, deputy head of the Bundeswehr Association and Quentin Gärtner from Germany’s school pupils' association about the new model that will make it compulsory for 18-year-old men to undergo an armed forces physical test.
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    37 mins
  • Back to Syria? Germany's conservatives face off on deportation plans

    Back to Syria? Germany's conservatives face off on deportation plans
    Nov 6 2025
    Germany’s conservatives are in turmoil after Foreign Minister Wadephul’s visit to Syria. His remarks about the country’s dire living conditions — and the unlikelihood of large-scale returns — have sparked backlash within his own party. Is the push for repatriation grounded in reality — or is it just political theater? Nina Haase breaks it down with Daniel Thym, Aya Ibrahim, and Michaela Küfner.
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    41 mins
  • Is Europe united against Russia’s provocations? Race against time

    Is Europe united against Russia’s provocations? Race against time
    Oct 29 2025
    What does it take to get Europe defense-ready — and how soon must it act? In this Berlin Briefing from the Berlin Global Dialogue, DW’s Michaela Küfner speaks with EU Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius and DW’s Alexandra von Nahmen about Europe’s response to Russian provocations, the urgency of military preparedness, and whether EU member states are truly united in facing the threat.
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    31 mins