So what’s the strategy for Germany?

July 21, 2026 • 4:07 pm ET the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Host Matthew Kroenig is joined by Oliver Linz, director of policy planning at the German Federal Foreign Office to discuss Germany’s strategy as a middle power to address geopolitical change and turmoil in the 21st century. This special episode was recorded during the D-10 Forum, a convening of policy planning directors and national security experts from 10 leading democracies, held annually at the Atlantic Council. Listen to So What’s the Strategy wherever you get podcasts About the podcast Host Matthew Kroenig, vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, sits down with senior US and allied officials and leading experts to explore the strategies shaping today’s most pressing global security challenges. Inspired by General Brent Scowcroft, who famously asked his team “So what’s the strategy?” the series dives into how leaders think about power, policy, and the decisions shaping the future of international security. Watch and listen wherever you get your podcasts. Related content Explore the program Image: The German flag, the European flag, and the NATO flag wave in the wind in front of a dramatic sky during the visit of Mark Rutte at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on July 9, 2025. (Photo by Christian Marquardt/NurPhoto)NO USE FRANCE