Talk Eastern Europe
197 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 40 ratingsTalk Eastern Europe is the official podcast of the New Eastern Europe magazine, providing insightful analysis, thoughtful commentary and engaging interviews on the latest news and developments affecting the region of Central and Eastern Europe. The podcast is hosted by Adam Reichardt, NEE’s editor in chief, and Alexandra Karppi, an expert on the Western Balkans and Eastern Europe. Each episode delves into the complexities of the region, from the war in Ukraine, the rise of populism, the challenges of European integration and the latest events that represent the constant changes taking place in Central and Eastern Europe. Join us each week for a deep dive into the most pressing topics facing Eastern Europe today. Subscribe to stay informed and engaged with the latest developments in the region.
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Episodes
Episode 177: Understanding political technology
April 25, 2024 09:45 - 47 minutes - 108 MBThis episode opens up with Adam, Alexandra and Nina discussing the latest news developments including the US Congress’s passage of the Ukraine aid bill; political developments in Croatia; the situation in Georgia and the situation of civil society in Azerbaijan. Later, Adam is joined by Andrew Wilson, a professor of Ukrainian Studies at UCL and a senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. They discuss Andrew’s latest book titled “Political Technology. The Globalisation of Po...
Episode 176: Photophobia – a film about children during war
April 18, 2024 15:37 - 42 minutes - 96.6 MBIn this episode of the podcast, Alexandra and Nina share some tips on interesting films from the region and discuss the latest developments related to foreign agent laws in Georgia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. They also remind listeners of the political prisoners' situation in Belarus and shed light on the challenging circumstances in Ukraine. Later, Nina has a conversation with Ivan Ostrochovský and Pavol Pekarčík, the two directors of an awarded film Photophobia which captures lives of 12-y...
Episode 175: Genocide denial and the far-right in the Western Balkans
April 12, 2024 09:12 - 48 minutes - 110 MBIn this episode of the podcast, Adam, Alexandra and Nina start by discussing latest developments in the region including intensified Russian air attacks against Ukrainian cities, recent Slovak and Polish election results, protests in Hungary and draft UN resolution recalling the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica. For the main interview, Alexandra sits down with Dr. Hikmet Karcic, a Research Associate at the Institute for the Research of Crimes against Humanity and International Law - University of ...
Episode 174: Belarus “elections” reveal regime’s next steps
April 05, 2024 11:50 - 1 hour - 147 MBIn this episode of the podcast, Adam, Nina and Alexandra start by a discussion of some of the latest developments in the region including the Georgia’s pursuit of a new version of the “foreign agent law”; a similar development in Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina; Ukraine’s targeting of Russian oil refineries and Romanian and Bulgaria entering the Schengen Zone (at least partially). For the main interview, Adam sits down with Wicke van den Broek a PhD candidate at Maastricht Univers...
Episode 173: Decolonizing Russia. Indigenous peoples’ voices
March 28, 2024 11:18 - 46 minutes - 105 MBIn this episode, Adam, Alexandra and Nina begin by discussing last weeks' horrific terrorist attack in Moscow, Russian attacks against energy infrastructure in Ukraine and the Russian missile in Polish airspace. They continue with some potentially hopeful developments such as results of first round of Slovak presidential elections and the European Council decision to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the main interview, Nina talks to Dmitry Berezhkov, head of t...
Episode 172: Challenging gender stereotypes through a camera lens
March 21, 2024 14:05 - 40 minutes - 93.4 MBIn this episode, Adam and Alexandra start the episode by discussing worrying news for Kyrgyz civil society, Armenia's potential return to Europe, and upcoming elections in Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia. During the main interview - to mark International Women’s Day - Nina sat down with a photographer and videographer Zula Rabikowska who explores gender identities in Central and Eastern Europe. They talked about her project Nothing but a Curtain that brings voices of women, non-binary, and tra...
Episode 171: Any surprises in Russia's Presidential Election?
March 14, 2024 13:55 - 45 minutes - 41.9 MBIn this episode, Adam and Nina discuss the deterioration of relations between Czechia and Slovakia, the celebration of 25 years of NATO membership in Czechia, Hungary and Poland and the ongoing media crackdown in Azerbaijan. They continue to analyse the split in the Visegrád Group as Hungary's Viktor Orbán's met with Donald Trump while Poland's president and prime visited US President Joe Biden. For the main interview, Alexandra and Nina sat down with Eugene Chausovsky, the Senior Director f...
Episode 170: Enlargement burnout and Romania's role in integrating the Western Balkans
March 07, 2024 14:13 - 45 minutes - 104 MBIn this episode, Alexandra and Nina discuss the funeral of Alexei Navalny, Putin's state-of-the-nation address and the latest attack on Odesa in Ukraine. They walk you through relatively positive developments related to recent Serbian elections and reflect on meetings between Hungarian, Slovak and Russian foreign ministers. Later, Alexandra interviews Miruna Butnaru-Troncotă, a Bucharest-based writer and researcher specializing in EU foreign and security policy. They discuss the "accelerated...
Episode 169: Albania at a precarious moment
February 29, 2024 12:10 - 44 minutes - 101 MBIn this episode, Adam and Nina start by reflecting on recent Belarusian parliamentary elections and tragic death of Alexei Navalny. They also discuss last week's farmer's protests and dynamics among the Visegrád Group countries (Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia). Later, Alexandra interviews Andrea Mazelliu, a lecturer of law at the University of New York Tirana, to get his insights on domestic politics in Albania, which have heated up in recent months. Alexandra and Andrea also deep div...
Episode 168: Stories of strength and resilience. Ukrainians after two years of full-scale war
February 22, 2024 13:28 - 1 hour - 158 MBThis special episode marking the second anniversary of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine features four short-form interviews with Ukrainians in the country and outside it. First, Nina and Alexandra discuss the news of the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, who was murdered while imprisoned in one of Russia's northernmost prisons. Later, Nina and Alexandra share four stories from Ukraine with the following guests. Each guest shared their personal stories, reflections fro...
Episode 167: Disinformation narratives in elections – the case of Poland
February 15, 2024 10:57 - 56 minutes - 130 MBIn this episode Adam, Nina and Alexandra start out by offering some of the latest news developments in Hungary, Czech Republic, Kosovo, Ukraine and Russia. Later Nina and Adam are joined by Maciej Makulski – a contributing editor with New Eastern Europe – to discuss Maciej’s recent research report titled: “Social media monitoring during the 2023 Polish Election. Immigration as a threat to national security and identity” and the consequences for upcoming elections. Download the report here: ...
Episode 166: North Macedonia braces for possible change
February 09, 2024 10:39 - 47 minutes - 109 MBIn this episode, Adam and Nina start by discussing the latest news, including developments in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Russian spies in the West. Later, Adam is joined by Jovan Gjorgovski, a journalist based in North Macedonia and an editor with the Channel 5 television station. They discuss the current political situation in the country ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections later this spring. They also take a look North Macedonia’s EU accession and the serious roadblocks whi...
Episode 165: Kyrgyzstan’s populist turn raises concerns for media and civil society
February 02, 2024 11:01 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBIn this episode, our three co-hosts open this episode with a brief rundown of the latest news in the region, including developments related to Azerbaijan, Moldova, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia and North Macedonia. Adam and Nina are later joined by Asel Doolotkeldieva a non-resident fellow of the George Washington University and expert on Kyrgyzstan. Asel describes the current political situation in the country which has developed as a result of the last protests in October 2020 which includes a...
Episode 164: Bosnia and Herzegovina’s crackdown on media and civil society
January 25, 2024 11:12 - 1 hour - 156 MBIn this episode, Alexandra and Nina start with a brief rundown of the latest news in the region, including the meeting between Slovakia’s Robert Fico and Hungary’s Victor Orban. They also cover developments in Poland, Serbia and Russia. Later, Alexandra and Nina interview Leila Bičakčić, one of the founders and current director of the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN) in Bosnia and Herzegovina - the first investigative center established in the Balkans. They discuss recent crackdowns ...
Episode 163: Can the West keep up its support for Ukraine in 2024?
January 20, 2024 12:41 - 53 minutes - 123 MBTalk Eastern Europe is back with a new episode! All three co-hosts welcome you with a short discussion on the latest news since the new year, including in Serbia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Ukraine. Later, Adam and Alexandra are joined by Mark Temnycky a freelance journalist covering Eurasian affairs and a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Mark discusses some context for 2024 and what are the prospects for the West’s support for Ukraine in 2024. Check out Ma...
Episode 162: Crackdowns intensify in Azerbaijan
December 22, 2023 09:46 - 1 hour - 139 MBIn this episode listeners are introduced to the newest co-host – Nina Panikova, welcome Nina! Adam, Alexandra and Nina do a rundown of the most important developments of 2023 and what to expect in 2024. Later, Adam and Nina are joined by Arzu Geybulla, an Azerbaijani columnist and writer, with special focus on digital authoritarianism and its implications on human rights and press freedom in Azerbaijan. They discuss the ongoing crackdowns against media and civil society which are taking in A...
Episode 161: Serbia's Snap Elections: Extraordinary Campaigning in Extraordinary Elections
December 14, 2023 11:55 - 50 minutes - 116 MBIn this episode Adam and Alexandra start with the latest news in the region, including the new government in Poland, the trucker blockade on the Polish-Ukrainian border, Putin's 'election' bid and Slovakia moves in the legal sphere. Later, Alexandra chats with Nikola Burazer, a Serbian political scientist, journalist, program director at the Center for Contemporary Politics and executive editor of European Western Balkans. They discuss the upcoming Serbian snap elections and wider political ...
Episode 160: Quo Vadis, Montenegro?
December 07, 2023 21:36 - 1 hour - 164 MBIn this episode, Adam and Alexandra discuss the latest news from Georgia, the Balkans, and Russia. They also discuss the controversial legacy of American diplomat Henry Kissinger, who died last week at the age of 100. Later, Alexandra speaks with Kenneth Morrison, who is a Professor of History and Research Theme Director at De Montfort University and a Research Associate at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Alexandra and Kenneth deep dive into the political history of Mo...
Episode 159: Journalism under stress in Central and Eastern Europe
November 29, 2023 19:49 - 50 minutes - 115 MBIn this episode, Adam and Alexandra catch up on the latest news from Poland, Hungary and Serbia. Later, they are joined by Paulina Milewska, a media expert, who currently works on the issue of SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation) as a PhD researcher at the European University Institute and a Senior Advisor for European Centre for Press and Media Freedom.They discuss the challenges faced by journalist and media in the region, including local media. Read the report mentione...
Episode 158: Repressions in Belarus continue
November 24, 2023 08:20 - 52 minutes - 120 MBIn this episode Adam and Alexandra review some of the latest news in Hungary, Bulgaria and Latvia. They are later joined by the guest Pavel Slunkin – a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, based in ECFR’s Warsaw office. Pavel works on Belarus-related issues: its domestic and foreign policy, relations with Russia, the European Union, and the United States. In the interview Pavel discusses the latest developments related to Belarus, Belarusians abroad and the role of ...
Episode 157: Moldova’s political hurdles remain after local elections
November 14, 2023 17:41 - 51 minutes - 118 MBIn this episode Adam and Alexandra are together in a Warsaw studio to discuss the latest news in the region, including the European Commission’s latest enlargement report and recommendations. After the news rundown, they are joined in the studio with Oktawian Milewski, a political scientist specialising in Central and East European studies. He is a Poland resident correspondent for Radio France Internationale’s Romanian office and a regular guest with Talk Eastern Europe. Oktawian discusses ...
Episode 156: New government in Slovakia promises stability
November 05, 2023 12:35 - 54 minutes - 124 MBIn this episode Alexandra and Adam run down the latest news from Moldova, Ukraine and the South Caucasus. Alexandra then interviews Roman Hlatky an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of North Texas public opinion, electoral behaviuor, and race and ethnic politics, focusing on Central Europe. Roman walks our listeners through the election campaign and results of the Slovak elections. In the bonus section available for our patrons: Roman and Alexandra ...
Episode 155: Poland's future in the balance after elections
October 26, 2023 11:34 - 44 minutes - 103 MBIn this episode Adam and Alexandra open up with a discussion on the latest news in the region including Georgia’s president surviving an impeachment proceeding; Viktor Orban’s meeting in China; latest on Nagorno-Karabakh and developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main interview features Anna Wójcik, co-founder and editor of “Rule of Law in Poland” and The Wiktor Osiatyński Archive, a rule of law monitoring project. She is also a Humboldt Foundation Fellow at the Max Planck Institute of ...
Episode 154: Nagorno-Karabakh: Repercussions and Ramifications
October 19, 2023 13:24 - 39 minutes - 36.3 MBThis episode opens up with a brief rundown of the results of Poland’s parliamentary elections held on Sunday October 15th, Adam and Alexandra provide their brief analysis and what the results mean – especially considering the fact that the ruling Law and Justice party will not likely be able to form another government – a significant victory to the opposition. After that Alexandra is joined by Julie George is a political scientist and professor with faculty appointments at Columbia Universit...
Episode 153: Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus
October 12, 2023 09:35 - 39 minutes - 89.5 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode we welcome the newest co-host of Talk Eastern Europe Alexandra Karppi! Alexandra is a research analyst at Freedom House covering the Western Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe for Nations in Transit. She has also held research and editorial positions at the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, Central European University’s Center for European Neighborhood Studies, and the Post-Confli...
Episode 152: Heightened tensions as Kosovo-Serbia dispute continues
September 28, 2023 12:30 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo appear to be once again on the rise with the most recent outbreak of violence in Northern Kosovo on September 24th. Meanwhile there seems to be no end in sight for resolving the dispute between the two countries despite attempts to moderate the conflict by the EU and the US. In this episode, following a brief update of the news, Adam discusses the issues of Serbia and Kos...
Episode 151: Ukraine is committed to victory
September 20, 2023 13:41 - 49 minutes - 45.2 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj This episode of Talk Eastern Europe opens with Adam’s rundown of some of the latest headlines in the region, including the Polish visa scandal, Slovak elections, the growing tensions surrounding Ukrainian grain and the escalation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Later, Adam is joined by Alina Frolova, an expert and deputy chair of the Center for Defense Strategies in Kyiv. She is a former Deputy Minister of...
Episode 150: The Death of Yevgeny Prigozhin (and what it means)
September 13, 2023 18:44 - 44 minutes - 40.6 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj On August 23rd 2023, the founder and leader of the Russian mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash in Russia. Prigozhin’s death comes exactly two months after Prigozhin led a mutiny of Wagner soldiers in Russia, almost making it to Moscow before turning back. The death of Prigozhin clearly has the marks of a Putin-led assassination. What does it say about the Putin power structure? What is ...
Episode 149: The role of sanctions
September 05, 2023 09:56 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj Talk Eastern Europe is back after the short August break. Adam opens the episode with a rundown of the most important stories that took place over the last several weeks, including the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, F-16s for Ukraine, the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor and Georgia’s attempts to impeach its president. Later, Adam is joined by Mark Temnycky, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Cou...
Episode 148: Roma communities in conflict zones - challenges and lessons learned
July 29, 2023 05:15 - 1 hour - 65.4 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj As this is Aga's last episode as a co-host, her and Adam start with a reflection on their cooperation over the past year and a half, with a surprise entrance by another former co-host, Maciek Makulski! They then discuss current developments in the region, including the arrest of prominent Russian pro-war blogger Igor Girkin and the continuous Russian missile strikes against Odesa following Moscow's withdraw...
Episode 147: Did NATO deliver on Ukraine’s expectations?
July 20, 2023 12:22 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode, Adam and Agnieszka open with a discussion of the most recent news in the region, in particular Ukraine’s attack against the Kerch Strait bridge as well as Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal, and its consequences. Later, Adam is joined Yulia Kazdobina, head of the Ukrainian Foundation for Security Studies and a senior fellow with the foreign policy council “Ukrainian Prism”. ...
Episode 146: The European Political Community enters the stage
July 13, 2023 15:40 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode Adam and Aga discuss the NATO summit which took place this week in Vilnius, with a particular focus on what its conclusions mean for Ukraine. They also talk about political tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina as Republika Srpska's Milorad Dodik stands up to High Representative Christian Schmidt. The news section concludes with reports that the Lachin corridor has now been completely blocked al...
Episode 145: Prigozhin's march of justice fails to reach its destination
July 06, 2023 18:12 - 56 minutes - 51.8 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj Aga and Adam start this episode by discussing the upcoming NATO summit, fears linked to a potential nuclear sabotage at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and tensions between Ukraine and Georgia over the state of health of Mikheil Saakashvili. Aga then sits down with Marek Menkiszak, the Head of the Russian Department at the Centre for Eastern Studies in Poland and a lecturer at the Centre for East Eur...
Episode 144: Documenting the power of human unity
June 27, 2023 13:00 - 49 minutes - 45.4 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe Adam and Agnieszka open with a discussion of the perplexing events that took place over the weekend in Russia with the half-attempted insurrection lead by the Wagner Group’s Yevgeny Prigozhin. Later, Adam is joined by Mark Fisher, documentary filmmaker and CEO and founder of Fisher Creative. Mark describes how he and his team decided to create a documentary film abou...
Episode 143: Is Bulgaria's governmental crisis coming to an end?
June 14, 2023 10:04 - 57 minutes - 52.7 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj Adam and Aga start this episode by discussing the start of the long-awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive, the apparent move by the Russian Defence Ministry to take over Wagner Group troops, and the results of recent elections in Montenegro. We then turn towards Bulgaria, which has seen five parliamentary elections in the past two years, the latest of which has just resulted in the formation of what our gue...
Episode 142: Polish politics heats up
June 07, 2023 08:56 - 56 minutes - 51.5 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Adam and Agnieszka catch up over the most recent developments, mainly the political situation currently unfolding in Poland around the new law on Russian influence as well as the massive opposition-organised march which took place last weekend. They also discuss the news coming out of Ukraine, namely the Russian blowing of the dam at Nova Kakhovka which has the pote...
Episode 141: Georgia flying away towards Russia
June 01, 2023 07:57 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode Adam and Aga start by discussing the latest mass drone and missile attacks on Kyiv. Afterwards, Aga reluctantly summarises the controversy around Poland's newly approved special commission which could be used by the government to target opposition figures ahead of parliamentary elections this fall. We wrap up the news section with an update on the Turkish presidential election and the ongoin...
Episode 140: Turkish elections and the wider geopolitical impact
May 25, 2023 10:17 - 55 minutes - 50.6 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode Adam and Agnieszka discuss some of the latest developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine, including the likely full capture of Bakhmut by Russian forces, the curious case of the Free Russian Legion incursion into the Belgorod region, the results of the G7 summit as well as a recent pro-EU rally in Moldova. During the main interview, Adam is joined by his colleague, Adam Balcer – the program di...
Episode 139: Born with a pencil in his hand. A conversation with NEE’s illustrator, Andrzej Zaręba
May 18, 2023 06:32 - 1 hour - 55.7 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode Adam and Aga talk catch up on the latest news in the region, including the many speculations about the health of Belarusian dictator Alyaksandr Lukashenka. They also briefly note some Ukrainian advances in Bakhmut ahead of its expected counter offensive as well as the never-ending story of Bulgaria’s election drama, which may have an end in sight (or not). Afterwards, Adam sits down with And...
Episode 138: Book Talk: "Russia's War" by Dr Jade McGlynn
May 09, 2023 15:14 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode Adam and Aga discuss an eventful week involving a drone attack on the Kremlin, Wagner Group's chief threatening the withdrawal of his troops from Bakhmut and the European Commission reaching an agreement with Ukraine's EU neighbours to lift bans on the transport of Ukrainian grain. Aga then sits down with Dr Jade McGlynn to discuss her newly published book "Russia's War". Written in the mon...
Episode 137: Waiting for Ukraine's counteroffensive
May 04, 2023 11:43 - 59 minutes - 54.2 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode Adam and Aga discuss the publication of the latest, rebranded issue of New Eastern Europe, followed by news updates on Russia's missile strikes on Ukraine, a phone call between Presidents Zelenskyy and Xi, and Poland enforcing the recovery of its properties from Russia in Warsaw. Aga then sits down with a repeat TEE guest, Francis Farrell - a reporter working for The Kyiv Independent in Ukra...
Episode 136: The Role of Belarus in Russia’s war against Ukraine
April 28, 2023 06:43 - 50 minutes - 45.9 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode, Adam and Aga recap some of the developments in the region including a new Azerbaijani check point installed at the Lachin corridor in Nagorno-Karabakh as well as the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to Hungary. During the main interview of the episode, Adam interviews Victoria Leukavets, a researcher with the Stockholm Centre for Eastern Europeans Studies. They go through most recent develop...
Episode 135: Book talk: Ukraine is not dead yet. A conversation with Megan Buskey
April 19, 2023 09:09 - 54 minutes - 50.3 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj This episode opens with Adam and Agnieszka discussing the latest news, including the sentencing of Vladimir Kara-Murza, the US intelligence leaks as well as the Polish government’s decision to ban Ukrainian grain import. Later, Adam sits down with Megan Buskey, an American writer and researcher, to discuss her book “Ukraine Is Not Dead Yet: A Family Story of Exile and Return”. The book follows Megan’s journ...
Episode 134: Estonia continues to punch above its weight
April 05, 2023 12:36 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode Adam and Aga discuss the main developments of the past weeks, including Alexander Lukashenka's State of the Nation Address, Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, the much-awaited equipment deliveries to Ukraine and the arrest of The Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in Moscow. We then move on to the main topic of this episode - Estonia. Despite being a small country, both physically and...
Episode 133: The blockade of the Lachin Corridor
March 22, 2023 07:08 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode, Adam and Aga start by discussing the ongoing battle for Bakhmut, first pledges of jet fighters for Ukraine and the, at the time of recording, upcoming visit of Xi Jinping to Moscow. The discussion then moves to the situation in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, where the ongoing blockade of the Lachin Corridor - the sole link between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia - has caused a humanitarian cris...
Episode 132: Spanish memory site: Valle de Cuelgamuros
March 18, 2023 13:52 - 1 hour - 60.2 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj With this episode, we close a mini-series on memory politics in Central and Western Europe. This time we look at the Spanish case of the Valle de Cuelgamuros. The Francisco Franco-time monumental historical site and mass grave of the victims of the 1930s civil war is an ongoing issue for Spanish society and politics. With the help of two outstanding experts in the field – Paula O'Donohoe and Francisco Ferra...
Episode 131: Georgia’s foreign agent law sparks reaction
March 15, 2023 11:14 - 46 minutes - 42.1 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Adam and Agnieszka start out with a discussion on the state of Russian influence in the region with a focus on Georgia and Moldova. Later, Agnieszka provides a brief rundown of the recent Estonian elections. For the main interview, Adam is joined by Grigol Julukhidze - the director of the Foreign Policy Council, a think tank in Tbilisi. He specialises in security st...
Episode 130: The Wagner Group
March 07, 2023 13:40 - 53 minutes - 48.7 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode Adam and Aga start by discussing the latest updates from Bakhmut and the ongoing blockade of the Lachin corridor in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. We then tackle Russia's most infamous private military company and its powerful and ambitious chief Yegveny Prigozhin. Helping us understand the way in which the Wagner Group operates and manages to get away with its many crimes and huma...
Episode 129: Can Moldova resist Russian pressure?
March 02, 2023 10:03 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MBSupport the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode we look at the current situation in the small but important country of Moldova. Since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, which began last year, Moldova has often been thought of a country at greater risk of destabilization and conflict. Recent intelligence indicates Russia is seeking ways to disrupt Moldova’s pro-European path and may be funding hybrid-style attacks in the country. J...
Episode 128: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, one year later. A conversation with Maria Avdeeva
February 24, 2023 09:24 - 54 minutes - 49.5 MB>>> Become a patron of Talk Eastern Europe for even more content: http://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this special episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Adam and Agnieszka sit down with Maria Avdeeva, a Kharkiv-based expert who has since February 24th 2022 been reporting on the ground regarding the situation in her hometown and throughout Ukraine. Maria provides some personal reflections and stories from the last 12 months and later describes what she thinks could happen next in Russia’s war against Ukraine....