Languages: German and English (fluent), Spanish and Polish (conversational)
Areas of Expertise: Eastern Europe; Russia; armed conflict and military affairs; defence policy; missile defence; missile proliferation
Gustav Gressel is a senior policy fellow with the Wider Europe Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations' Berlin office. His topics of focus include Russia, Eastern Europe, and defense policy.
Before joining ECFR, Gressel worked as a desk officer for international security policy and strategy in the Bureau for Security Policy of the Austrian Ministry of Defence from 2006 to 2014, and as a research fellow of the Commissioner for Strategic Studies with the Austrian MoD from 2003 to 2006. He was also a research fellow with the International Institute for Liberal Politics in Vienna. Before his academic career he served five years in the Austrian Armed Forces.
Gressel holds a PhD in Strategic Studies at the Faculty of Military Sciences at the National University of Public Service, Budapest and a Masters Degree in political science from Salzburg University. He is the author of numerous publications regarding security policy and strategic affairs and a frequent commentator on international affairs. His opinions have appeared in media such as the New York Times, the Guardian, Die Welt, NZZ, Bild, the Diplomat, New Eastern Europe, Foreign Policy, Gazeta Prawna, Rzeczpospolita, Kyiv Post, the Moscow Times, Capital, the Telegraph, the Economist, Newsweek, Deutsche Welle, RTL, al Jazeera, TVP, TRT, Polskie Radio, RFI, FM4, Ukraine Today, and Radio Free Europe.
Essay
by Gustav Gressel - 25th June, 2019
Europe should pursue a ‘dual track’ approach of confrontation followed by dialogue with unfriendly cyber powers.
PDF
Gustav Gressel - 17 April 2019
While its current disposition in Crimea is mainly defensive in nature, Russia's military build-up on the peninsula could soon turn the Black Sea region into a security black hole.
Gustav Gressel - 02 April 2019
Military spending may now figure in public conversation about NATO. But the alliance, at 70 years old, still lacks military capabilities strong enough to protect Europe from Russia
Gustav Gressel - 27 February 2019
Berlin's handling of the controversial Nord Stream 2 project reveals double standards and neglect of the pipeline's security repercussions.
.jpg "Pic: Kremlin.ru - https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Datei:Vladimir_Putin_and_Donald_Trump_at_the_2017_G-20_Hamburg_Summit_(3).jpg - CC BY 4.0 - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/")
Gustav Gressel - 06 February 2019
Germany is not facing up to the INF challenge. If it does not take a lead, Russian nuclear superiority over Europe will soon be a done deal
Policy Brief
by Gustav Gressel - 28th November, 2018
Gustav Gressel - 24 October 2018
American withdrawal from the cold war era INF Treaty would do nothing to strengthen security in the US or Europe, and would allow Moscow to get away with repeated violations
Gustav Gressel - 22 October 2018
If Europe refrains from punishing state-sponsored assassinations and disappearances, not only will authoritarian regimes continue their repressive tactics, but the EU will lose its ability to defend its common area of freedom, security, and justice
by Gustav Gressel - 25th June, 2019
Europe should pursue a ‘dual track’ approach of confrontation followed by dialogue with unfriendly cyber powers.
PDF
by Gustav Gressel - 14th July, 2017
Anti-Western elements, exploitable by the Kremlin, exist not only on the fringes of European politics, but reach right into the heart of established parties.
PDF
by Gustav Gressel, Fredrik Wesslau - 19th June, 2017
There is no room for complacency in Europe’s stance towards Russia and Ukraine.
PDF
by Gustav Gressel - 05th October, 2016
Reforms in key state institutions, such as the judiciary, have failed to deliver results.
PDF
Gustav Gressel - 17 April 2019
While its current disposition in Crimea is mainly defensive in nature, Russia's military build-up on the peninsula could soon turn the Black Sea region into a security black hole.
Gustav Gressel - 02 April 2019
Military spending may now figure in public conversation about NATO. But the alliance, at 70 years old, still lacks military capabilities strong enough to protect Europe from Russia
Gustav Gressel - 27 February 2019
Berlin's handling of the controversial Nord Stream 2 project reveals double standards and neglect of the pipeline's security repercussions.
Gustav Gressel - 06 February 2019
Germany is not facing up to the INF challenge. If it does not take a lead, Russian nuclear superiority over Europe will soon be a done deal
Gustav Gressel - 24 October 2018
American withdrawal from the cold war era INF Treaty would do nothing to strengthen security in the US or Europe, and would allow Moscow to get away with repeated violations
Gustav Gressel - 22 October 2018
If Europe refrains from punishing state-sponsored assassinations and disappearances, not only will authoritarian regimes continue their repressive tactics, but the EU will lose its ability to defend its common area of freedom, security, and justice
Gustav Gressel - 25 September 2018
The Vostok 2018 exercises showed the Russian armed forces learning from Western theory and Syrian practice. In turn, the Chinese military personnel present at the exercises for the first time will be learning from the Russians
Gustav Gressel - 28 August 2018
In an international order that is beginning to resemble a competition between rival cartels, Angela Merkel risks becoming a kind of geopolitical Walter White
ECFR’s director Mark Leonard speaks with ECFR Policy Fellows Stefan Soesanto, Kadri Liik and Gustav Gressel on Russia's interferences in Western politics.
The podcast was recorded on 5 January 2017.
Bookshelf:
Maurice Paléologue, An Ambassador’s Memoirs
Harvey Pitcher, Witnesses Of The Russian Revolution
Timothy Snyder, Bloodlands: Europe between Hitler and Stalin
Michael Hayden, Playing to the Edge: American Intelligence in the Age of Terror
Yuval Noah Harari, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow
The GCHQ Puzzle Book
Picture: commdiginews.com
ECFR’s director Mark Leonard speaks with experts Andrew Wilson, Fredrik Wesslau and Gustav Gressel, about rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine in the Donbass, the Minsk agreement, and whether European sanctions on Russia should be renewed. The podcast was recorded on 30 August 2016.
Bookshelf:
Enough said: What’s gone wrong with the language of politics by Mark Thompson
The decline of the West by Oswald Sprengler
Ukraine crisis: What it means for the West by Andrew Wilson
The Ukrainians: Unexpected Nation by Andrew Wilson
Gustav Gressel is asked by Die Welt about reports of a spying beluga whale trained by Russia, which has been observed at the Norwegian coast.
In an op-ed for Der Tagesspiegel, Gustav Gressel explains why Zelensky's campaign in the Ukrainian election has been so successful and what his presidency will mean for the country's future.
Gustav Gressel is quoted by DW on an AfD lawmaker's trip to Crimea despite German sanctions.
Gustav Gressel is quoted by Deutsche Welle in the context of the Crimea visit by an AfD politician.
Gustav Gressel comments on Surkow's statements about Putin's style of ruling Russia.
Gustav Gressel comments on the tensions between France and Germany in the Nord Stream 2 compromise.
A30 publishes a summary in Spanish of Gustav Gressel´s publication "Under the gun: Rearmament for arms control in Europe"
Gustav Gressel quoted by NBC news regarding Russia jamming NATO's GPS signals during Trident Juncture exercises.
Gustav Gressel is quoted by Deutsche Welle regarding the Russian military operation 'Wostok-2018'.
Gustav Gressel on the wedding of Austria's foreign minister, and being Putin's "useful idiot"
Email: gustav.gressel@ecfr.eu