Moritz S. Graefrath

Breaking Europe’s Trans-Atlantic Habit: The End of the Senior Partner Myth When U.S. President Donald Trump floated the possibility of taking Greenland by force, European leaders reacted with outrage — and then, almost

Europe can defend itself without the United States.

@gesineweber.bsky.social and I call on European leaders to overcome their defeatism and nostalgia for a transatlantic past that won't return—and lay out a path to strategic autonomy.

warontherocks.com/2026/02/brea...

Breaking Europe’s Trans-Atlantic Habit: The End of the Senior Partner Myth When U.S. President Donald Trump floated the possibility of taking Greenland by force, European leaders reacted with outrage — and then, almost

Remember when Rutte said Europe should stop dreaming about defending itself?

Moritz Graefrath and I wrote an answer to that claim in @warontherocks.bsky.social.

warontherocks.com/2026/02/brea...

I participated in this summer institute, put together by Peter Harris, last year and can wholeheartedly recommend it. Don't hesitate to reach out with questions!

The German government is too afraid of public backlash to strengthen its military, writes @moritz-graefrath.com for @wpr.bsky.social.

But right now is a particularly opportune moment to pursue decisive change.

Three takeaways from his latest piece.

Germany’s New Military Service Model Is Less Than Reassuring While Germany’s decision has been widely praised, it raises concerns about the country’s commitment to European security.

See my piece in @wpr.bsky.social for an overview of the recent military service debate in 🇩🇪 and why its resolution does not provide much ground for optimism ⤵️

Germany’s New Military Service Model Is Less Than Reassuring While Germany’s decision has been widely praised, it raises concerns about the country’s commitment to European security.

Germany’s ruling coalition agreed to a new conscription framework. It doesn’t provide much grounds for optimism, @moritz-graefrath.com writes.

Trump's embrace of war is leading America to repeat past failures, writes @moritz-graefrath.com in his latest for The Critic.

He argues that America best leverages its military strength when force is used sparingly.

1/ More nuclear weapons wouldn’t be such a bad thing, write Mark Raymond and IGA’s @moritz-graefrath.com in @foreignaffairs.com.

This is, if US allies are the ones getting them, they explain.

Three takeaways from their piece.

America’s Allies Should Go Nuclear Selective proliferation will strengthen the global order, not end it.

Canada, Japan, and Germany should get the bomb. Selective proliferation will benefit both the United States and its allies.

My debut in @foreignaffairs.com w/ @profmarkraymond.bsky.social ⤵️

My colleague @moritz-graefrath.com and I argue in @foreignaffairs.com for selective nuclear proliferation to Canada, Germany and Japan.

We make the case it will benefit all three, as well as the USA, and that it will also strengthen the increasingly brittle global order.

🗓️🗓️🗓️
EPSS Deadline is this week:
Submit your proposal by November 7

Come work with me and the great climate community at Brown University, incl @jenniferhadden.bsky.social @timmonsroberts.bsky.social

Please share widely! Deadline Jan 9, 2026.

US military kills 11 people in strike on alleged drug boat from Venezuela, Trump says The U.S. military killed 11 people on Tuesday in a strike on a vessel from Venezuela allegedly carrying illegal narcotics, President Donald Trump said, in the first known operation since his administration's recent deployment of warships to the southern Caribbean.

Blowing up a boat and killing 11 people and in the name of stopping a drug shipment is a depraved act of needless violence. If it's a drug shipment, stop it with the Coast Guard.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...

Von ND nach Michigan, ist das erlaubt?! Congrats, und viel Erfolg im neuen Kapitel.

Is it time for the United States and Europe to part ways? As public support for a US presence in Europe wanes, it’s time to rethink the relationship, writes IGA’s Moritz Graefrath. 3 takeaways from his new piece for The Critic 👇

The end of transatlanticism | Moritz Graefrath | The Critic Magazine Most partnerships — even those that once stood as beacons of harmony and unity to those around them — ultimately find an unceremonious end. As priorities change and plans for the future diverge…

We are witnessing the end of the transatlantic partnership. But breakup was long overdue.

Check out my debut in The Critic ⤵️
thecritic.co.uk/the-end-of-t...

Please share widely!
IR Theory Colloquium (IRTC)
2025-2026
Call for applications / Due July 31
IRTC is a monthly, 90-minute Zoom workshop for early career researchers, aimed at improving theoretical arguments and expanding the IR Theory community.
More info below:

Power vacuums are a real thing. But Europe won’t be one.

warontherocks.com/2024/09/u-s-...

Great to have my @ipq.bsky.social piece on why Europe should embrace, not fear, U.S. retrenchment featured on this list. Find it here: ip-quarterly.com/en/europe-us...

Eisenhower's vision of European security In 1945, American leaders prevented Europe from being overrun by the Red Army. Their strategic thinking provides a vital perspective on the current debate about US military presence on the continent.

In 1945, American leaders prevented Europe from being overrun by the Red Army. Their strategic thinking provides a vital perspective on the current debate about US military presence on the continent.

Read my latest in @engelsbergideas.bsky.social ⬇️

Eisenhower's vision of European security In 1945, American leaders prevented Europe from being overrun by the Red Army. Their strategic thinking provides a vital perspective on the current debate about US military presence on the continent.

Eisenhower’s vision of European security | @moritz-graefrath.com

engelsbergideas.com/notebook/eis...

For Europe, US Retrenchment Is Not a Threat, but an Opportunity Europeans should embrace, not fear, a post-American Europe. US disengagement will take time and offer the continent a window of opportunity.

Europe should embrace, not fear, U.S. retrenchment from the continent.

Read my argument in @ipq.bsky.social ⬇️
ip-quarterly.com/en/europe-us...

For Europe, US Retrenchment Is Not a Threat, but an Opportunity Europeans should embrace, not fear, a post-American Europe. US disengagement will take time and offer the continent a window of opportunity.

The latest in our Europe's New Reality series: Europeans should embrace—not fear—a post-U.S. Europe, which offers the continent a window of opportunity, @moritz-graefrath.com argues.

ip-quarterly.com/en/europe-us...

What's next, "No Jump Zones"?!

Excited to be a panelist at the OADII 2025 Symposium today. Looking forward to my conversation with Gen. Bussiere (Commander AF Global Strike Command) on the national defense landscape.

When @profsaunders.bsky.social and I wrote about the national security nightmare DOGE was creating, we did not have a powerful enough imagination www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

Spring break? Eisenhower archives!

Germany’s prospective chancellor wants to invest in European security but will have to overcome legislative opposition and navigate a strained relationship with Washington, writes @moritz-graefrath.com in the Foreign Policy Essay.

What do the results of the German election tell us about the future of U.S.-European relations? Find my analysis for @lawfare.bsky.social here: www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...