East Meets West: Europe, Eurasia, and the Shifting Geopolitical Landscape

PAST EVENT VIDEO
Alexander Cooley, Liana Fix, Elena Lazarou, Rachel Rizzo, and Leslie Vinjamuri explore how the war in Ukraine is reshaping power dynamics across Europe, Eurasia, and the broader international order.
A security guard stands near the flags of Shanghai Cooperation Organization member states outside the venue in Tianjin, China on August 30, 2025.
Rafiq Maqbool / AP
Speakers
Alexander Cooley
Liana Fix
Elena Lazarou
Rachel Rizzo
Leslie Vinjamuri
Event Date

About This Event

Russia's war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed Europe's relationship with the East, forcing European nations to grapple with questions about security, energy independence, and their ties across the broader Eurasian region. How is Europe adapting its approach to Russia and its eastern neighbors in this new environment? What does this growing East-West divide mean for European security and the international order? Join us for a conversation with Alexander Cooley, Liana Fix, Elena Lazarou, and Rachel Rizzo, moderated by Leslie Vinjamuri, as they examine how the conflict in Ukraine is reshaping European geopolitics and global power dynamics. 

About the Speakers
Alexander Cooley
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Eurasia Affairs
Headshot of Alexander Cooley.
Alexander Cooley is the Claire Tow Professor of Political Science at Barnard College and former director of Columbia University’s Harriman Institute for the Study of Russia, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe. His research focuses on sovereignty, governance, and political development in post-Communist states, especially in Central Asia and the Caucasus. He joined the Chicago Council as a nonresident senior fellow on Eurasia affairs in 2025.
Headshot of Alexander Cooley.
Liana Fix
Senior Fellow for Europe, Council on Foreign Relations
Photo of Liana Fix
Liana Fix is a senior fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations with expertise in European foreign policy and security, transatlantic relations, and Eastern Europe. Prior to joining CFR, she was program director for international affairs at Körber-Stiftung in Berlin, a resident fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Washington, DC, and a fellow at the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies.
Photo of Liana Fix
Elena Lazarou
Director General, Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy
Photo of Elena Lazarou
Elena Lazarou is director general of the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy, specializing in European Union foreign policy, geopolitics, transatlantic relations, and security. With over 20 years' experience, she previously led the External Policies Unit at the European Parliament Research Service.
Photo of Elena Lazarou
Rachel Rizzo
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Europe Center, Atlantic Council
Headshot of Rachel Rizzo.
Rachel Rizzo is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Europe Center, specializing in European security, NATO, and transatlantic relations. She previously served as director of programs at the Truman Center for National Policy and the Truman National Security Project, was a Robert Bosch Fellow in Berlin, and spent over five years at the Center for a New American Security.
Headshot of Rachel Rizzo.
Leslie Vinjamuri
President & Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Leslie Vinjamuri headshot
Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri joined the Council in 2025 as the president and chief executive officer, after previously serving as director of the US and the Americas program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, known as Chatham House, in London. She brings nearly 30 years of experience working at the intersection of international affairs, research, policy, and public engagement.
Leslie Vinjamuri headshot

Young Professionals Network

Three Council event attendees pose for a photo.
"East Meets West" Young Professionals Meet-Up
PAST EVENT
Members of the Young Professionals network are invited to attend this private reception following the public program "East Meets West: Europe, Eurasia, and the Shifting Geopolitical Landscape."
Attend In-Person Open to all
Watch Live Stream Open to all
Issues Global Politics
Regions Eurasia Europe
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