Reinventing Transatlantic Ties?

For decades, the strong partnership between the United States and Europe has been built on shared values and mutual trust. Yet, in a time marked by geopolitical tensions, ongoing conflicts, and growing debates about the future of international cooperation and multilateralism, the transatlantic relationship faces both renewed expectations as well as new uncertainties.

How are political developments in Washington, Brussels, and Berlin reshaping the alliance? What role will security and trade play in defining the next chapter of transatlantic ties? And how can we navigate disagreements while strengthening our shared interests? What is the role of civil society actors on both sides of the Atlantic and private friendships in fostering a stable relationship?

In this discussion, Robin Quinville (Director of the Wilson Center’s Global Europe Program) and Dr. Martin Kilgus (United Nations Association of Germany–Baden-Württemberg) will explore the challenges and opportunities facing one of the world’s most important bilateral partnerships.

Robin Quinville

is the former Director of the Wilson Center’s Global Europe Program. She spent more than 30 years as a U.S. diplomat, having served primarily in Europe – including postings to two multilateral organizations (the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and NATO) and bilateral postings to Cyprus, Bosnia, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Germany. She also spent a year in Baghdad, Iraq. In Washington, she directed the Oﬃce of Western European Aﬀairs at the Department of State and served as a Wilson Center State Department Fellow for a year. Her last foreign posting was as the Charge d’Aﬀaires at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany.
Ms. Quinville holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Smith College. She is widely recognized for her expertise in European affairs, alliance politics, and transatlantic cooperation.

Photo: Robin Quinville

Dr. Martin Kilgus

is chairman of The German Association for Foreign Affairs (DGVN) in Baden-Württemberg and a member of various committees and commissions on European and transatlantic cooperation. Until May 2025, he was a member of the Federal Executive Committee of the DGVN. He studied politics, American studies, international relations, and communication in Stuttgart and Washington, D.C. His main areas of focus are migration and integration in Germany and Europe, European integration and EU enlargement, German-American relations, and municipal and international development cooperation.

The Future of German-American Relations

Discussion

Robin Quinville

Photo: Robin Quinville

Dr. Martin Kilgus

Photo: Privat