Afleveringen
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Iran has asserted itself on the global stage through proxies in the Middle East and by supporting Russia in its war in Ukraine. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, and Iulia welcome Andres Ilves, director of the Near East Region at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. How is Iran positioning itself in regards to Armenia and Azerbaijan? To what extent is Iran exerting influence on Russia? What regions of the world are most threatening to Iran and how is it responding to those threats?
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For years, Russia has employed disinformation campaigns to influence political outcomes in Western democracies. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Andrea MichalcovĂĄ, director of the Center for an Informed Society. What impact has Russian disinformation campaigns had in Slovakia and the Czech Republic so far? How have these campaigns both helped and hurt Ukraine throughout the war? What can Western nations do to effectively combat Russian disinformation?
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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A lot has happened since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine just over two years ago. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia reflect on events from the past two years and consider what the future of the conflict might look like. Would a second Trump administration inevitably push the war in Russia's favor? And would a Biden re-election necessarily mean more aid for Ukraine? How have the Europeans compared in their support for Ukraine?
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Just shy of the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, and in the midst of breaking news over Alexei Navalny's assassination, the focus was all on Ukraine during last week's Munich Security Conference. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Jack Janes, resident senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, to reflect on his experience at the conference. What did Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy say about US delays in approving an aid package? How did news of Navalny's assassination influence the security forum agenda? And how might his death be telling of the possibilities for Russia's future?
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In light of Donald Trump's recent statements encouraging Russia to attack NATO allies that have not met their spending minimums, there are growing concerns about Europe's readiness to defend itself. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Jolanta Szymanska and Daniel Szeligowski of the Polish Institute of International Affairs to discuss their new book, The European Union in the Face of Russia's Aggression Against Ukraine. Has the EU been acting with a proper sense of urgency to Russia's threats? Has Germany delivered on their Zeitenwende promises? Should the EU forego unanimity in the interests of each country's national security?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Frontâs bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Read The European Union in the Face of Russia's Aggression Against Ukraine here.
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Ukrainians living in Russian occupied territories are facing a myriad of threats, from torture and deportation to the Russification of their communities. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Karolina Hird, the Russia deputy team lead and Evans Hanson fellow at the Institute for the Study of War, to discuss her recent report, "The Kremlin's Occupation Playbook: Coerced Russification and Ethnic Cleansing in Occupied Ukraine." What tactics has Russia used in its attempts to erase Ukrainian identity? Does the Ukrainian government have a plan in place to reintegrate the Russian-occupied territories?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Frontâs bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. "The Kremlin's Occupation Playbook: Coerced Russification and Ethnic Cleansing in Occupied Ukraine" by Karolina Hird. "The Torture Camp on Paradise Street" by Stanislav Aseyev.
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Continued support for Ukraine is not just important for Ukrainians; many Eastern European countries are increasingly worried about their own security. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Adrian BÄluÈel, the chief of staff to the president of the Republic of Moldova, to discuss Moldovan security and the security of the Eastern European region at large. To what extent does additional funding for Ukraine also support the wider region against Russian aggression? How has Moldova, specifically, fared against Russian information operations?
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Despite reaching somewhat of a standstill in the war, Ukraine has made considerable advances in the Black Sea. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Stephen Flanagan, adjunct senior fellow at RAND Corporation, to discuss the future of Black Sea strategy and its implications for Ukraine, the EU, and the US. What further military advances can we expect? What role does Turkey play in the region's security? To what extent might the US' Black Sea strategy be affected by the upcoming presidential election?
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As Putin attempts to erase Ukrainian identity, keeping Ukraine's unique history and culture alive has become ever more important. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Maria Popova and Oxana Shevel, associate professors of political science at McGill University and Tufts University, respectively, to discuss their new book, Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States. How has Ukraine resisted Russian influence and pursued democracy? What impact has the war had on Ukrainian self-identity? And how has academia tackled issues around Eastern European identity?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Frontâs bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Purchase Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States here.
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There is a growing consensus among segments of the political elite that America's declining global leadership has paved the way for conflicts in Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former NATO chief from 2009-2014, to discuss his recent efforts across Washington to advocate for sustained aid to Ukraine and US dominance in the international arena. Must there be a tradeoff between supporting Ukraine and supporting Israel or Taiwan? How important is transatlantic unity to defeating Vladimir Putin? Which European countries are most concerned, and most optimistic, about America's willpower to lead?
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With Ron DeSantis suspending his presidential campaign just ahead of the New Hampshire primary, the Republican field is setting out to be a one-man show: Donald Trump. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with David Frum, senior editor at The Atlantic, to discuss the evolution of the Republican party since Trump's first term and what we can expect from a potential second Trump administration. Might Europe have to begin providing for its own defense with American security no longer a guarantee? What about aid to Ukraine? In what waysâif at allâmight a second Biden administration be different in the event of a re-election? And is there any possibility that neither Trump nor Biden will be an option?
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US support for Ukraine continues to remain uncertain as Congress struggles to reach an agreement on an aid package. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Jan HavrĂĄnek, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of the Czech Republic, to discuss the future of American and European support for Ukraine. Is there a growing sense of "Ukraine fatigue" in Europe? Will other Eastern European states follow Hungary's path and turn their backs on Ukraine? To what extent has the war in Ukraineâand the possibility of a wider regional conflictâfactored into Europe countries' defense budgets?
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Despite battlefield gains in 2022, the last year has brought significant hurdles to Ukraine's fight against Russia. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia reflect on the past year's events and consider what might be in store for the Black Sea regionâand the world more broadlyâin 2024. They discuss Western will and commitment to Ukraine, the future of Zelenskyy, Russia's war plans, and Biden's re-election prospects.
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Frontâs bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. "Wake Up, West! Putin Can Gain Upper Hand in Ukraine in '24 if We Do Nothing," by Iulia Joja.
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Despite the European Council's recent decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, the country's EU membership is not exactly a foregone conclusion. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Rikard Jozwiak, Europe reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), to discuss the potential obstacles to Ukraine's EU accession process and funding. To what extent does supplemental funding for Ukraine in the US affect EU decision-making over aid? What role might upcoming European and US elections play on Ukraine's EU accession? What about NATO membership?
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This week, European leaders agreed to begin EU membership talks with Ukraine, nearly two years after it was accepted as a candidate state. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Ian Bond, deputy director of the Centre for European Reform, to discuss possible outcomes of accession talks. How might Hungary, who was the only EU member to block a recent aid package for Ukraine worth $55 billion, complicate matters? What role does the UK play in the future of European defense? Could the return of a Trump administration upend European security?
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In the second installment of The Eastern Front's two-part series on Armenia's security, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Ambassador Richard Kauzlarich, distinguished visiting professor at George Mason University, to discuss Azerbaijan's perspective on the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. What has accounted for Azerbaijan's aggressive posture towards its neighbors? What other ambitions is Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev harboring that the West may not fully understand? Why has China taken a back seat in the region?
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Nearly three months after Azerbaijan's seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh, serious concerns remain over the plight of tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians in the region. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Dr. Shushanik Minasyan-Ostermann, postdoctoral research associate at the University of Bonn, to discuss the refugee crisis. Can Armenia trust Western nations to provide for its security? And if not, is Russia a viable alternative? How are Turkey and Iran's interests abetted by this conflict?
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Only half the battle is over once Ukraine wins the war. If Russian President Vladimir Putin is to be prevented from finding yet another victim of his aggression, there must be credible deterrence to maintain a proper balance of power in Europe. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome back retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, NATO senior mentor for Logistics, to discuss strategies that can help Ukraine win this war now and deter Russia moving forward. Will joining NATO help maintain peace in the region? To what extent might the return of Donald Trump to the White House compromise existing partnerships with European allies?
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In May 2023, Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), traveled to Russia to visit her ailing mother. While awaiting her flight back to the US in June, she was detained by Russian authorities and subsequently charged for failing to register as a âforeign agent.â If convicted, she faces up to five years in a Russian prison. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Jeffrey Gedmin, acting president of RFE/RL, and Pavel Butorin, Kurmashevaâs husband and director of Current Time TV at RFE/RL. Gedmin and Butorin provide an update on Kurmashevaâs situation, discuss their ongoing collaboration with the US State Department to bring her home, and shed light on the growing threats that journalists face in Russia and other authoritarian nations.
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On November 8, the European Commission adopted the 2023 enlargement package, which recommended opening negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova to officially join the EU. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Oleksiy Goncharenko, Ukrainian parliament member, to discuss EU accession and Ukraineâs domestic politics. Do recent comments from Republican presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, accurately reflect the state of Ukrainian democracy? What might disagreements between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraineâs military leadership suggest about the warâs future? To what extent would EU accession change the trajectory of the warâand would it change for better or worse?
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