Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer

I'm thrilled to welcome @SophiaBesch as GMF's new Research Director and Managing Director for Transatlantic Security, joining our Berlin office on September 15. Sophia joins us from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace with previous roles at the Centre for European Reform, the Atlantic Council, Johns Hopkins SAIS, and the American-German Institute. She brings an exceptional record of policy-relevant research and a rare ability to bridge the policy, business, industry, and academic communities across the Atlantic. Her leadership will sharpen our research and strengthen GMF's role as the leading institution shaping the future of transatlantic relations, NATO, and European security. Welcome to GMF, Sophia!

The transatlantic relationship is being renegotiated in real time—and Germany is at the center of it. This week, I joined Bundestag Member @Peter_Beyer and the @GermanAmbUSA Jens Hanefeld in Washington D.C., along with American and European policymakers, parliamentarians, business and thought leaders, and GMF Marshall Memorial Fellows to dig into exactly what this moment demands of the Alliance. We covered the questions now defining the Atlantic Alliance's direction: Germany's defense ambitions, the future of transatlantic cooperation in Europe and the Middle East, and what shifting defense postures demand politically, strategically, and industrially. These are exactly the questions GMF's European Defense Roadmap is designed to work through. Next steps: carrying this conversation into GMF's upcoming roundtables in Berlin and across Europe, stress-testing assumptions and timelines with a broader set of European voices, and sharpening recommendations ahead of NATO's Ankara Summit. Grateful to Ambassador Hanefeld for hosting us, and to Peter for such a frank and substantive exchange.

A valuable opportunity to host U.S. Under Secretary of War @ElbridgeColby at the @gmfus this week, alongside a select group of senior European and NATO officials, for a candid conversation on the future of European defense and the Atlantic Alliance. Grateful to Under Secretary Colby and our European colleagues for the depth and strategic focus of the exchange—and to my colleague @ClaudMajor for leading GMF's European Defense Roadmap initiative, facilitating the discussion, and steering transatlantic partners toward concrete next steps. Following this Washington kick-off, GMF will convene a series of consultations and roundtables across its pan-European network—London, Brussels, Berlin, Paris, Rome, The Hague, Warsaw, Bucharest, and Ankara—to gather input from political and military decisionmakers, industry and tech leaders, financial institutions, and experts, test assumptions, and sharpen recommendations and timelines. The goal is to build the European Defense Roadmap in real time, ahead of and beyond NATO's Ankara Summit. This initiative will help governments on both sides of the Atlantic to prepare for a shifting strategic reality. The transition from a U.S.-led security order in Europe toward a European-led framework supported, but no longer directed, by the United States, has now become more urgent. For European allies, adapting to a reduced and more conditional U.S. security role will require fundamentally different planning, coordinated investments, and a shared framework for collective deterrence and defense. Decisionmakers will greatly benefit from a shared European vision for assuming primary security responsibility, an improved coordination between NATO and EU defense structures, clearer expectations for long-term U.S. contributions and a better understanding of Europe’s industrial landscape. In the months ahead, GMF will lead and shape the necessary trusted platforms, tailored analysis, and structured timeline that will define the parameters of a more cohesive, capable European security framework. More to come as we carry this work forward. For more on GMF's European Defense Roadmap: gmfus.org/news/german-ma…

As Europe’s security model shifts from US-led to more European-led, GMF is launching a major initiative to deliver a roadmap for defense in a new era of transatlantic responsibility-sharing. Our Senior Vice President for Transatlantic Security, @ClaudMajor, explains the launch of the European Defense Roadmap Initiative at this critical time. 🔗 More info: bit.ly/4vkzCUj

As the European security architecture enters a period of disruptive and structural change, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is launching a major new initiative European Defense Roadmap: A Transatlantic Path to Responsibility Sharing, focused on developing a concrete, actionable roadmap for European defense to enter a new era of transatlantic responsibility sharing. Led by Dr. @ClaudMajor , GMF’s Senior Vice President for Transatlantic Security, this initiative builds directly on the policy recommendations of GMF’s bipartisan Transatlantic Task Force report, Rebalancing Transatlantic Relations — A Roadmap for 2030, released on June 24, 2025. The old burden-sharing debate, long measured in GDP percentages and defense budgets, is no longer sufficient. Transatlantic trust has been strained, and the strategic gap is widening. What is needed is a strategic contribution framework that reframes the conversation in terms Washington can act on and Brussels can deliver: not just how much Europe spends, but what Europe can do—reliably and at scale—within EU, NATO, and coalition frameworks. That is the core premise of GMF’s European Defense Roadmap. An effort to help translate responsibility‑sharing into an actionable roadmap for policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic. Building on decades of GMF security and defense expertise, it will deliver a structured blueprint for how Europe can assume primary responsibility for its own defense while preserving alliance cohesion and sustaining US engagement where it matters most. Through high-level workshops, scenario sessions, and data-driven research across GMF’s transatlantic office network—from Washington D.C. and Brussels to Berlin, Paris, London, Warsaw, Bucharest and Ankara—GMF will convene the full spectrum of key transatlantic stakeholders: governments, EU and NATO institutions, defense and tech industries, and leading experts to shape what comes next. US and European allies share a fundamental interest in ensuring that this roadmap is operationalized in an orderly and constructive manner that limits capability and leadership gaps, and maintains credible deterrence. In the months ahead, GMF will provide the trusted platforms, rigorous analysis and structured timeline needed to define the parameters of a more cohesive, capable European security framework. 🔗 Learn more about the European Defense Roadmap below:

I'm thrilled to welcome J.C.Lintzenich as a visiting senior fellow at GMF. J.C. has more than 30 years of experience spanning intelligence, defense, foreign policy, and the legislative process, and will help advance our work on transatlantic security, NATO, and the evolving geopolitical landscape. His distinguished career includes serving as principal adviser on national security affairs to Senator Thom Tillis, senior adviser to the Director of National Intelligence, and defense policy director for the Western Balkans at the Department of Defense. A retired senior military intelligence officer, he has supported critical intelligence and special operations efforts around the world. Welcome to GMF, J.C. Lintzenich! 🔗 Learn more: lnkd.in/evyWDDAp

Great to be at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) for a conversation with @m2matthijs on the transatlantic relationship and the political, economic, and strategic forces shaping its future. The transatlantic partnership is navigating its most complex recalibration in decades. A few key assessments I shared at SAIS: 💠 Strategic environment: Geopolitical rivalry, overlapping crises, and technological competition are reshaping the alliance. Transatlantic cooperation can no longer rely on habit, shared history or crisis reflexes - it is increasingly judged by whether it delivers tangible results at home: jobs, competitiveness and economic security - raising the political cost of cooperation that cannot be clearly justified to voters. 💠 Economic foundation: Much of the transatlantic relationship continues to expand - in business-to-business formats and US state-to-European country and cities partnerships - giving both sides a strong material incentive to keep the relationship functional and avoid escalation, even as political signals diverge. 💠 Middle East: As Washington signals it needs European support, Europe has a concrete opportunity to convert that request into structured, interest-based commitments rather than open-ended solidarity. Any European engagement in the Strait of Hormuz is likely to be conditional and framed within a multilateral mandate. 💠 Defense Transition: A transactional US posture should now be treated as a structural planning assumption. The most workable path forward is a phased transition in which Europe assumes a larger share of conventional defense responsibilities while the US retains the nuclear umbrella and select strategic enablers within NATO structures. The strategic goal is not to hedge against America, but to reduce Europe's single points of failure and make cooperation with Europe consistently valuable to Washington. 💠 Industrial policy: Europe's "Buy European" push - anchored in the 2026 Industrial Accelerator Act - reflects a structural shift toward managed interdependence. The most workable framing is "allied industrial resilience" - protecting capability and interoperability without turning procurement into a nationality test, and anchoring cooperation in joint, high-impact industrial projects linked to shared security objectives. 🔶 Looking to 2030: A more balanced transatlantic relationship is achievable - but not automatic. It depends on four variables: whether Europe delivers on defense production and military readiness; whether the shift to a European-led security architecture is managed in an orderly way; whether trade and industrial disputes are kept separate from alliance commitments; and whether the US and Europe execute concrete, joint industrial projects that lock in interoperability and mutual benefit. Thank you for the engaging discussion!

Just spoke with @NPR @ElBeardsley on the G7 meeting today and what to expect. Here are the perspectives I shared: ➡️ The G7 meeting should not be a moment to express frustrations, but to find some sort of joint approach to the intersecting security crises in the world today. ➡️ The Iran conflict lays bare the depth of transatlantic interdependence. The US needs European allies - diplomatically and operationally - to manage escalation in the Middle East, stabilize energy markets, and secure the Strait of Hormuz, which carries 20% of global oil shipments. Europeans, in turn, need sustained US commitment to Ukraine's defense and deterrence on NATO's eastern flank. Neither side can afford to treat these theaters in isolation: they are strategically linked, and only coordinated action can prevent one crisis from undermining the other. ➡️  The US will aim to build a coalition around reopening the Strait, but the lack of prior coordination makes that harder. This is precisely why this G7 meeting matters. ➡️ France has summoned a special G7 meeting with ministers of energy to address the current crisis. More than the geopolitical consequences of the war, the G7 should be a platform to find economic solutions. Full interview here 👉n.pr/4sEmeZC

Looking foward to our conversation with US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs @jacobhelberg, moderated by GMF’s @ian_lesser, in Brussels next week. As AI reshapes economic competitiveness and redefines geopolitical leverage, we will discuss how the US and Europe can strengthen coordination, build resilient supply chains, and shape global standards together. Join us virtually here:

GMF's Executive Office is reopening its internship program, starting this summer - and we're looking for our next superstar. You’ll work directly with me and the Executive Office, contributing to real-time policy analysis, preparing briefings and talking points, and engaging with some of the most pressing issues shaping the transatlantic relationship today - from European security and US foreign policy to tech innovation and trade. If you're DC-based, passionate about transatlantic relations and policy research, and ready to thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment, this is your moment! 📍 Washington, D.C. 📅 Starting May 2026 👇 Apply here: German Marshall Fund Of The US - Summer 2026 Internship, Executive Office recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/Job…

Great to welcome experts for a GMF roundtable on the rapidly evolving Europe–India strategic partnership and what it means for transatlantic relations, timed with the launch of GMF's new India Initiative earlier today. Grateful to @BonnieGlaser for moderating, and to Garima Mohan (@GarimaMo ) and Sameer Lalwani for sharing valuable insights on the political, economic, and security drivers behind this growing alignment. A timely discussion on how Europe and India are strengthening ties and what this means for transatlantic cooperation and the broader international order.

At a pivotal moment for Europe–India relations, we’re proud to announce the launch of GMF’s new India Initiative. Building on more than fifteen years of expertise, this initiative is led by GMF’s Garima Mohan (@GarimaMo ), PhD, one of the leading voices on European and transatlantic engagement with and in India. It will strengthen European understanding of India and deepen cooperation across trade, technology, security, and beyond. It will also open new avenues for US–Europe–India trilateral collaboration at a time when partnership across democracies is more important than ever. This is an exciting next step in our work to connect decisionmakers, business leaders and partners, generate actionable policy ideas, and drive long-term impact.

I am delighted to officially welcome Rachel Small to GMF today as our new Chief Operations and Finance Officer (COFO). Rachel brings more than 25 years of leadership experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Throughout her career, she has led teams and major initiatives spanning finance, human resources, information technology, facilities, and data analytics. Most recently, Rachel has held senior roles at United Way Worldwide, where she led community impact teams, built a government partnerships portfolio, and supported disaster response efforts in multiple states. She has notably led teams in complex and high-stakes environments, including supporting crisis management efforts in Hawaiʻi during the 2023 wildfires. She previously served as the New York state governor’s deputy secretary for public safety, overseeing operations across services, policies, and budgets for nine executive branch agencies, including the state police, the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, and the Office of Victim Services. Earlier in her career, she was a unit chief at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where she led business intelligence and advanced data analytics programs. As COFO, Rachel will play a critical role in aligning our resources, capabilities, and operations with GMF's long-term strategic ambitions. A very warm welcome, Rachel. We are thrilled to have you with us!

Iran War at One Week: explore all GMF expert analysis of the war’s implications for regional, transatlantic and global security and policy. Follow us for updated content.

Last month, I led a transatlantic GMF delegation to Taiwan with GMF’s Bonnie Glaser. We met with the island’s highest leadership, including President Lai Ching-te, to discuss how Taiwan is strengthening its democratic resilience, preparing for emerging threats, and deepening ties with international partners. I was particularly struck by Taiwan’s increasingly sophisticated effort to diversify its international relationships and its clear recognition that defense modernization, supply chain resilience, and diplomatic legitimacy all depend on a broad coalition of democracies. In our latest piece, we explore why this moment presents a real opportunity for Europe and the United States to step up engagement, with concrete implications and recommendations for European and American stakeholders. Read the paper: gmfus.org/news/get-it-st…

We were honored to host Kherson Governor Oleksandr @Prokudin__ for an important conversation at the #MunichSecurityConference2026 that kicks off impactful programming that we’ve been working on for six months and are excited to unveil in the months ahead. Governor Prokudin shared critical lessons in resilience from the frontline region of Kherson with Ukraine's distinguished partners—from state secretaries to stalwart members of the European Parliament to the senator who leads the US delegation to MSC. These insights will inform the work of the Unbreakable Europe Working Group that GMF and the Kherson Military Administration will jointly establish with the publication of our book "Unbreakable Kherson" in June at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdansk. Thanks to Governor Prokudin and the international leaders who contributed to these discussions. Grateful to my colleague Josh Rudolph and his team for designing a program that will help translate Kherson's lessons into actionable policy.

Excellent conversation with California Governor @GavinNewsom at the #MunichSecurityConference2026 . We discussed the current state of transatlantic relations and the vital role that California-Europe partnerships can play in strengthening the broader alliance. GMF is advancing this work through our vibrant California Marshall Memorial Fellowship alumni community, connecting innovators and leaders across technology, industry, and climate to bridge Californian and European ecosystems on issues critical to the transatlantic partnership.

Timely conversation at the @MunSecConf with Germany’s Federal Minister for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, @schneidercar on the future of the transatlantic partnership. We talked about the importance of bipartisan engagement in the U.S., local-level cooperation, and framing environmental issues around resilience, competitiveness, critical infrastructure, and shared resources. Partnership, with concrete results, is how we strengthen both sides of the Atlantic.

It was a great honor to meet with @GovWhitmer from the State of Michigan at the Munich Security Conference. Together with @ClaudMajor, we had an excellent exchange on the importance of transatlantic defense and industry cooperation, and the critical work of subnational diplomacy through study tours and local dialogues. These state-level connections are vital to reinforcing the broader transatlantic relationship.

On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, I met with Andrew Puzder, the US Ambassador to the EU. We had a substantive exchange on the future of the transatlantic relationship, the intersections between tech and energy security, and the implications of AI. Grateful for a frank, forward‑looking exchange.