Whatcom Community College (WCC) history and political science faculty and the Politics Club invite the public to a presentation by former United States ambassador John M. Koenig. He will discuss “The New Cold War – NATO, Russia, and the Re-division of Europe” 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9 at Heiner Theater on WCC’s campus in Bellingham.
Koenig will discuss the current state of relations with Russia, the United States, and Europe. He will present the idea that a new Cold War is underway between Russia, on the one hand, and the U.S. and EU on the other. Koenig will consider how we arrived at this point, the dangers of the present situation, and if the new Cold War will have the global reach of the last one.
Ambassador Koenig’s experience in the U.S. foreign service spans three decades. He has served as political advisor to the NATO Joint Forces Command in Naples, Italy; as deputy chief of mission in Berlin; and as deputy permanent representative to the U.S. Mission to NATO. Most recently Koenig served as U.S. ambassador in Nicosia, Cyprus. In 2011, he received the Presidential Distinguished Service Award in recognition of the policy and leadership roles he has played in Berlin and at USNATO.