Ambassador Michael Carpenter, former special assistant to the president and senior director for Europe at the National Security Council, explains that the situation in Europe is worsening.
When Michael Carpenter, former special assistant to the president and senior director for Europe at the National Security Council, approached the podium at the “Will Europe Meet this Moment?” event, he emphasized that for Europeans, the situation they’re waking up to now is profoundly different and more challenging than what they’ve known before.
“You’ve got Russia, which is waging the largest land war in the world since World War II … with 250,000 dead on the Russian side alone, and Ukrainian casualties in the order of 60,000 to 70,000 killed,” said Carpenter. “This is not just a war over a sliver of territory by two countries that dispute where that territory historically and culturally belongs. It is a war that, frankly, has taken on a genocidal character.”
On Friday, April 4, LMU’s Global Policy Institute (GPI) hosted Carpenter at the event, offering students and faculty the chance to learn more about the current challenges Europe faces and explore potential paths for improvement.
Gene Park, Ph.D., professor and associate chair of political science and international relations and director of the international relations program and the Global Policy Institute, explained that this event is relevant to all, as it addresses issues that have far-reaching impacts.
“Right now, many people are concerned about the consequences of U.S. actions under the new [Donald] Trump presidency and the changing policies toward Europe,” said Park. “There are some obvious reasons why this is the case — first and foremost, people in Europe and abroad are wondering what will happen with the Ukraine-Russia war and ultimately what consequences that will have for both the Ukrainian people as well as the security concerns of other European countries.”
Ambassador Carpenter made his viewpoint clear that the Trump administration is unlikely to resolve the conflict, predicting that the conflict in Ukraine will continue beyond this year with no agreement. Drawing from his personal experience with the issue, he underlined that Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no intention of backing down from his stance, despite the heavy casualties. According to Carpenter, Putin’s goal remains the subjugation of Ukraine.
Students and faculty members sit attentively, listening to Ambassador Carpenter’s speech.
He also asserted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is unlikely to accept any form of submission, noting that Ukraine did not initiate the conflict and no Ukrainian leader has supported surrendering the country’s sovereignty.
Carpenter predicted that the war will persist, with increasing pressure on European nations to take action. He pointed to potential measures such as seizing roughly $200 billion in frozen Russian assets held within European jurisdictions, which could be redirected to support Ukraine’s defense industry. Later, he noted that if the Ukrainian defense industry were to make a deal with the Trump administration, they could buy U.S.-made parts for weapons.
Theophilus Essilfie, a graduate student majoring in entrepreneurship and sustainable innovation and a GPI graduate assistant who helped plan the event, brought a student perspective.
“This conversation about Europe is important because you cannot isolate yourself from what is happening in this world,” said Essilfie. “It’s good to know what is happening and what kind of policies are coming out so you can know what opportunities are in existence and what kind of things you can take advantage of.”
Ambassador Michael Carpenter shared the need for students to understand global politics.
Dr. Park echoed this, saying that it’s important for students to engage in global policy conversations since not all LMU students are American, but all are studying in the U.S. He pointed out that U.S. foreign policy decisions carry consequences not just domestically but for communities worldwide, including countries that students call home.
Ambassador Carpenter similarly discussed the need for students to understand global politics and the implications this conflict could have on their futures.
“Your generation is gonna have to clean up the mess that they made now, and if you don’t understand global politics, then no matter where you work, you’re gonna feel the impact of it,” said Carpenter. “Whether you’re working for a car manufacturer or you’re working in finance or you’re working in a non-governmental organization, it will impact you if the U.S. no longer has a European alliance to work with.”
