The Global Agora

Is Vladimir Putin's regime surprisingly too resilient and does Donald Trump represent a clear and present danger to American democracy? I raised such questions with Michael Chertoff who was the second US Secretary of Homeland Security from 2005 to 2009. He just attended the ITAPA conference in Bratislava. We also discussed Ukraine-West relations and whether he plans to endorse somebody in the upcoming presidential elections. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Martin Edwards is a Professor in the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University, where he teaches classes on International Organizations. So I asked him if we need the UN, if there is a case for suspending Russia from the UN as it wages a war against Ukraine, and what it can and can not do about the Gaza conflict. We also talked about the veto the P5 countries are using and, let's say misusing, and about what the UN needs except for reforms. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

What can a war do to the artist? I talked to the Ukrainian director Alisa Kovalenko about fighting Russians and making movies. She recently visited Slovakia and at the movie festival Jeden Svet - One World she presented her documentary We Will Not Fade Away which follows the lives of five teenagers from Donbas. Why does she say that she believes in victory but she is a realist? And what had Alisa seen even before Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi started to talk about it? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Mick Ryan is a military strategist and retired Australian Army major general. He believes that the slow delivery of the Western weapon systems to Ukraine is one of the reasons why the Russians were able to build strong defensive lines. We discussed the successes and failures of Ukraine's counteroffensive, why he thinks that Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi injected a dose of reality into the conversation about the war, and also what we got wrong about Russia. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

On October 29th, an angry mob tried to hunt for Jews at Makhachkala’s Uytash International Airport, and the local authorities were caught off guard. How much does the events in Dagestan reflect the antisemitism of the Russian society? Are we going to witness similar incidents? I talked to Harold Chambers, an expert on the North Caucasus and a doctoral candidate at Indiana University. And from Dagasten we pivoted to Chechnya and we discussed the potential ambitions of Ramzan Kadyrov. Could he try to replace President Vladimir Putin and would it lead to the break up of Russia? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

If you haven't read this already, I would like to recommend a report from The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) titled: Greyzone Lawfare: Russia and the Voyages of the SPARTA IV. It shows how certain Russian vessels appear to continue regularly transiting the Bosporus with military materiel, in breach of international law. I talked to one of the co-authors of the report. Giangiuseppe Pili is an Assistant Professor in the Intelligence Analysis Program at James Madison University and a RUSI's Associate Fellow. We discussed what Russian ships in the Black Sea are hiding and how to stop them but we talked also about the broader topic of how Russia is trying to evade sanctions. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Can the Republicans govern and do they care about it? They have a majority in the House of Representatives, but at this moment they are unable to elect the Speaker of the House. The candidacy of Jim Jordan just bit the dust despite the endorsement from Donald Trump. But should somebody like Jordan be seriously considered to become the House Speaker? The congressman from Ohio is known for supporting the Big Lie and he voted not to certify the Electoral College results. So what if Trump wins the presidential elections in 2024, but Vice President Kamala Harris says his electoral votes don't count? How would somebody like Jordan react? This interesting question popped up in my debate with Professor of History Seth Cotlar from Willamette University in Oregon. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

How much is Haiti a functioning state in the situation where 300 gangs are active across the state and the government cannot enforce its authority in quite a few areas? Not to mention the widespread problem of kidnappings. All of this is happening as Haiti remains the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean region. Can it be at least partly reversed by the expected UN-backed Kenya's security mission? What can be done about the power of the gangs and how do these criminal structures operate? I talked to Diego Da Rin, a consultant for Latin America and the Caribbean in the International Crisis Group. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

After Slovakia, in Central Europe, all eyes are on Poland. Poles vote in parliamentary elections on October 15th. The winner will be either the populist-conservative political alliance United Right led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski's Law and Justice party (PiS) or the center-right Civic Coalition that was formed around the Civic Platform of Donald Tusk. I went through those scenarios with Vít Dostál, the Executive Director of the Association for International Affairs (AMO) in Prague. He focuses on Czech foreign and European policy, Central European cooperation, and Polish foreign and domestic policy. So I also asked him if the victory of Law and Justice could lead to the creation of an illiberal front in Europe. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

How can Europe build a new security architecture? Can it wait until the possible return of Donald Trump to the White House? Should the West abandon all self-imposed red-lines when helping Ukraine? And does German Chancellor Olaf Scholz regret that he started to talk about Zeitenwende? At the GLOBSEC event in Bratislava, I talked to Ulrich Schneckener, Professor of International Relations & Peace and Conflict Studies at Osnabrück University. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Slovak early elections will take place on September 30. It seems the winner will be either the left-wing populist Smer of former Prime Minister Robert Fico or liberal Progressive Slovakia. What does it mean for the country internally and externally? Can Slovakia become the next Hungary and the Trojan horse of Russia in the EU and NATO? I talked to Slovak political scientist Pavol Baboš from the The Department of Sociology at Comenius University in Bratislava. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Is Russia dangerously close to NATO? The drone incident in Romania shows it won't be wise to underestimate the situation. "Russia is escalating and testing NATO," Iulia-Sabina Joja thinks. She is a Senior Fellow and Director of Middle East Institute's Black Sea Program and she teaches European security as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University and George Washington University. We talked about how NATO should react to what Russia is doing and also about what the Alliance can do in the Black Sea region. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Andrew Lebovich is a Research Fellow with Clingendael's Conflict Research Unit and also a Postdoctoral Researcher with the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS). When the coup in Niger happened at the end of July, he was doing research in this West African country. So I was really happy when he said yes to my request for an interview. I asked him also a question that is probably a simplistic one. Is the coup in Niger a pro-Russian coup? But we also discussed the role of France and the US in Niger, what to expect or maybe not to expect from ECOWAS and the risks of an epidemic of the coups in Africa. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠

The Republicans want to send the military to... Mexico? It was quite a prominent topic of the first presidential debate of the GOP candidates. So what is behind this rhetoric? Is Mexico a functioning state taking into account the strong presence of drug cartels that are shipping highly lethal fentanyl to the US? I talked to Vanda Felbab-Brown, a Director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. She visited Mexico in June and July, so I also asked her how dangerous it is to conduct the field research there. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

If this was a sort of deathmatch between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, the result is very clear now. Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash on August 23rd. But did Putin specifically order the killing of Prigozhin? I talked to political analyst Anton Barbashin who is an editorial director of Riddle, which is a website about Russia I can only recommend. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Lee Morgenbesser is an Associate Professor in Comparative Politics at the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith University.  His most recent book is titled The Rise of Sophisticated Authoritarianism in Southeast Asia, so he is a perfect match for the next episode of my podcast. We discussed how Prime Minister Hun Sen took over Cambodia and if his reign is somehow unique if we compare Hun Sen to other authoritarian rulers. The July election showed that Hun Sen is running the country seemingly unopposed. But can people in Cambodia still resist his rule? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Cristiano Ronaldo led the way, other big football stars, though many of them are aging stars, follow. Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino or Jordan Henderson, just to name a few. Why is Saudi Arabia spending crazy money on football players? Is this a clear example of sportwashing? Can the Saudis' effort be sustainable? I talked to James Dorsey, who is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore and the author of The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer and other publications. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

I've got three recommendations for you. I recommend watching Oppenheimer. I recommend reading the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, co-authored by Kai Bird and the late Martin Sherwin, on which the movie is based. And I recommend listening to this episode of my podcast as I had a chance to talk to Kai Bird. And I do believe we had a very interesting debate about the movie, his book, and about how relevant Oppenheimer is these days. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Franz-Stefan Gady is founder and chief executive officer of Gady Consulting and also a consulting senior fellow with the Institute for International Strategic Studies. With the other experts he recently visited Ukraine's frontlines, so I am glad he agreed to discuss what he saw and what could be next for Ukraine's offensive and Russia's defense. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

The Spanish elections will take place on July 23rd and it seems we will witness the same situation as in some other European countries. It means that the mainstream right will have to collaborate with the far-right to govern. In the case of Spain, we are talking about the People's Party cooperating with Vox. But would the far-right Vox in government change the country? I talked to Alejandro Quiroga who is a Reader in Spanish History at Newcastle University. We have also discussed why the right is leading in the polls and how the electoral campaign is influenced by the Russian war against Ukraine. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

The current polls show that the far-right Alternative for Germany, in German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), is the second most popular party in the country. While it is an extremely unlikely scenario, I wanted to know what would happen if the AfD would rule Germany. So I talked to Kai Arzheimer who is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Mainz. We have also discussed why the AfD is rising in the polls and how it's connected with the Russian war against Ukraine. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠

As the NATO summit in Vilnius is approaching and the war intensifies, I talked to Ben Hodges who is a former commanding general, United States Army Europe. He explained how he sees the Ukrainian offensive and what are Russians doing to counter it. We have also discussed what weapons Kyiv needs for the possible breakthrough and why the West is still not providing such systems. And what does he expect from the NATO summit in terms of strengthening defense of the Eastern flank and regarding Ukraine's ambitions to join the Alliance? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠

Should Iran face more sanctions if it continues helping Russia to wage a brutal war against Ukraine? I talked to Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington and a lecturer in international affairs at George Washington University. We also discussed how far would Russia go to help Iran and vice versa, how the Russian war affects the Middle East, China in the region, and how weak or strong is the regime in Tehran. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠

John Sipher is a senior non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, and the co-founder of Spycraft Entertainment, a production firm providing content to the entertainment industry. He retired in 2014 after a 28-year career in the CIA’s National Clandestine Service, which included serving in Moscow and running the CIA’s Russia operations. So I asked him if he would hire current  Russian President Vladimir Putin for the CIA looking at his KGB's career. We also discussed John's career, the brutal Russian war against Ukraine, Spycraft Entertainment, but also how deep into Putin's inner circle can the Western intelligence services see. Do you wanna know? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠

Andrei Kolesnikov is a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. For now, he stays in Russia, although he was labeled as a foreign agent. According to Andrei, Russian society is basically the same if we compare pre-war times and the current situation. The group of Putin's non-supporters has always been around 15-20 percent and the invasion didn't change this. So can something penetrate the mind of Russians? Does Putin's regime resemble the late era of Stalin? Should we be worried that with all the talks about nuclear weapons, Russia may think that maybe they are not that dangerous? And what about the relationship between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Wagner's boss Yevgeny Prigozhin? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠

Former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper cannot be clearer. He believes Donald Trump would try to pull the US out of NATO and South Korea in his second term. I talked to Esper at the annual GLOBSEC conference in Bratislava and we also discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Republican Party, and China. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠

What happens if Belarus' dictator Alexander Lukashenko dies? I talked to the opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. And she has a plan. She fights for her country as her husband Siarhiej is imprisoned by the regime. We also discussed the dangers of the Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, Ukraine and how she works hard to keep Belarus on agenda. Our debate took place at the annual GLOBSEC conference in Bratislava. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

How can Ukraine plan its counteroffensive? Would the F-16 jets help Kyiv? And what can Russia do to counter the impending attack? I talked to Johan Norberg, a Senior Military Analyst from Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI). Why does he think that the West will decide the war? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

She hates him because of his politics! It's all about money and fame! Is this why E. Jean Carroll sued Donald Trump? Not at all, a friend of Carroll Jennifer Taub explains. She is a Law Professor at Western New England University School of Law, author of the Substack newsletter Money & Gossip, and host of the podcast Booked Up with Jen Taub. In our debate, she dissected the verdict of the civil trial E. Jean Carroll v. Donald Trump and we also discussed why she thinks that the Republican Party is the anti-women party. Read also her book Big Dirty Money: Making White Collar Criminals Pay and listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin is naming and shaming everybody. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is offering his services but it's not clear if he really has something to offer. And the Russian President Vladimir Putin is... Is doing exactly what? About Prigozhin, Kadyrov, and Putin, I talked to political analyst Anton Barbashin who is an editorial director of Riddle, which is a website about Russia I can only recommend. So is Putin in control? What may happen to Prigozhin and Kadyrov if the Russian President falls? And how much are the people of Putin's regime nervous about the impending Ukrainian offensive. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠⁠

As Wikipedia says, Charles III, born Charles Philip Arthur George on November 14th, 1948 is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Last year, at the age of 73, he became the oldest person to accede to the British throne, also after having been the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales in British history. King Charles' coronation will take place on May 6th and he has really big shoes to fill. According to the YouGov poll from May 2022, so a few months before her death, Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has been admired by the British public. At that time 57 % of respondents claimed that she has done a very good job during her time on the throne and another 24% say she has done a fairly good job. But there are also other challenges King Charles faces. As the newspaper Guardian pointed out, on the eve of his coronation, a survey shows only three in 10 Britons think the monarchy is very important. The poll by the National Centre for Social Research shows public support for the monarchy has fallen to a historic low. A total of 45% of respondents said either it should be abolished, was not at all important, or not very important. So wearing the Supertunica for the coronation which weighs about 2kg and is made of cloth of gold-silk thread wrapped in thin pieces of gold or silver gilt metal won't be the biggest burden of King Charles III's reign. Dr. Tessa Dunlop is a British historian, writer, and broadcaster. Her latest book is titled Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy. So it was no brainer to ask her to talk about the upcoming coronation of King Charles III. Why does she think that he will be a caretaker monarch? What to expect from the next royal generation represented by Prince Willian and Princess Kate? And how does she assess the story of Harry and Meghan? Read Dr. Dunlop's book and listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠⁠

French President Emmanuel Macron was elected for his second term one year ago, on April 24th, 2021. How strong or weak is he now? I talked to Georgina Wright, a Senior Fellow, and Director of Institut Montaigne's Europe Program. We discuss recent Macron's visit to China and its aftermath but also French domestic politics. Is Macron naive? And is there a danger that he is paving the way for a radical successor? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠ 

The National Hockey League has a war crimes problem. Because of this piece, in the Globe and Mail, I contacted Mark Kersten. He is a Senior Consultant of the Wayamo Foundation and an Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia. So what's wrong with the NHL and with its superstar Russian player Alexander Ovechkin who is also known as a big fan of President Vladimir Putin? The Russian invasion of Ukraine uncovered some ugly truths that, as Mark argues, we should at least start to debate about. Should the NHL suspend Ovechkin for his continued support of Putin? How should the hockey fans react? And should the Russian athletes attend the Olympic Games? I talked to Mark about these topics but also about if the International Criminal Court is building a solid case against Putin. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠ 

The Good Friday Agreement that ended the conflict in Northern Ireland turned 25 on April 10th. What were the main factors that contributed to its success? I talked to Shaun Mcdaid, a Senior Lecturer in Politics from the Department of Behavioural and Social Sciences at Huddersfield University. We discussed the history of the Troubles, terrorists from the Irish Republican Army, and their international connections including the Soviet one, but also what's next for Northern Ireland amid Brexit. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ 

From April 4th, Finland is officially the thirty-first member of NATO. What does it mean for the country, for the Alliance, and for Russia? What are the pros and possible cons of Finland's membership? And why is Sweden still out? I talked to Charly Salonius-Pasternak, a leading researcher in The Center on US Politics and Power at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. I also asked him what he thinks about the idea that Finnish PM Sanna Marin can become the next Secretary General of NATO. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ ⁠

Kacper Rerawek⁠ is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Research on Extremism (C-REX) at the University of Oslo. His book ⁠Brown-Red Cocktail? Extremist Foreign Fighters in the War in Ukraine was published last year and for The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) he just released a report A Year of Foreign Fighting for Ukraine: Catching Fish With Bare Hands? So who are they and how do foreign fighters contribute to the fight with Russia? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ ⁠

Fred Wellman served in the Army for 22 years as an aviator and public affairs officer and he left the Armed Forces as a Lieutenant Colonel. He was a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, and completed tours during Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. So, in his own words, he invaded Iraq twice. He also was a spokesman for General David Petraeus, and General Martin Dempsey. I have asked Fred for an interview as March 20 marked the 20th anniversary of the Iraq war. Fred is working on a book about his service in Iraq, and the impact of the war on him and the others in his life. He said to me that he could call his memoir: They all died. But he can also sleep at night at ease. We discussed his service, the damage the war caused, if somebody, e. g. ex-President George Bush, should be tried for the invasion, and many other topics. Listen to our conversation. And check also my previous episode about the Iraq war as I talked to Robert E. Kelley⁠ who had been an International Atomic Energy Agency (⁠IAEA⁠) inspector in Iraq in 1992–93 and he was there also in the final months before the 2003 invasion. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ ⁠

Some people claim that the American invasion of Iraq 20 years ago started what could be called the post-truth world. Robert E. Kelley had been an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspector in Iraq in 1992–93 and he was there also in the final months before the 2003 invasion. We talked about his experience, his work, and how his team had to deal with leaks to the press from the CIA that ended up being great big lies. Kelley is a Distinguished Associate Fellow at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Listen to our conversation and stay tuned as the next episode of my podcast will be also related to the 20th anniversary of the Iraq war as I talked to Fred Wellman who did tours in Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom and was also a spokesman for General David Petraeus and General Martin Dempsey in Iraq. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ 

Did the probability of Russia attacking Norway decrease? Karsten Friis, a Senior Research Fellow from The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, thinks it does, but there are also a few buts. So we have discussed what is the biggest concern of Norway regarding Russia, also taking into account that Finland and Sweden are, hopefully, on their way to NATO. He explained how Norway is helping Ukraine and if Oslo could and should do more. We also talked about the militarization of the Arctic, and about NATO Secretary General and former Norwegian PM Jens Stoltenberg. And does Karsten like the famous TV series Occupied about the Russian occupation of Norway that was supported by the European Union? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak 

In December, The Society for the German Language named Zeitenwende the word of the year for 2022. But one year after the Russian large-scale invasion of Ukraine started, does the Zeitenwende also have a real political meaning? What is the role of Chancellor Olaf Scholz in this epochal tectonic shift as he described it by himself?  talked to Alexander Clarkson who is a Lecturer in German, European, and International Studies at King's College London. We also discussed if the EU unity towards Russia can last, Hungary, and the upcoming election in Slovakia that might lead to the government with pro-Putin forces. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

It's one year from the beginning of the Russian large-scale invasion of Ukraine. "Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks he can bully Ukrainians. But he only makes us angrier." This is what Iuliia Mendel said to me in our podcast debate. She is the former press secretary of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, from June 2019 until July 2021, author of the book The Fight of Our Lives, and opinion contributor for The Washington Post. And she also has a clear message for Moscow. Russia has to withdraw, beg for forgiveness and pay for the crimes. Perhaps then it can survive. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Could Russia try to stage a coup in Moldova? How probable is it? Is Moldova's government ready for such a scenario? And what about the problem of Transnistria? About the current developments in Moldova, I talked to Denis Cenusa. He is an associate expert at The Eastern Europe Studies Centre (EESC) in Vilnius. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

We are all following Rob Lee on Twitter, aren't we? I'm not sure when he sleeps but his feed is all the time full of interesting information, analysis, and videos related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With all of this, I'm really happy that Rob joined my podcast. No introduction is needed, but he is a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Eurasia Program, and a Ph.D. student researching Russian defense policy at King’s College London’s War Studies Department. And, of course, he is also a former Marine infantry officer. We talked about the trends that shaped the war, about possible offensive of the both sides, and also about the peace prospects. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Finland and Sweden are still out of NATO despite the agreement from the Alliance summit in June in Madrid. Is Turkey playing a divide-and-conquer game as it seems Ankara is all the time moving the goalposts? Is Russian happy about it? And what about Hungary? I talked to Toni Alaranta, Senior Research Fellow in the European Union Research Programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). His areas of expertise include Turkey’s domestic and foreign policies, in particular Turkey’s relations with the EU, the US and Russia. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

How is the Russian invasion against Ukraine shaping Japan's security views? What are Tokyo's main concerns? China, North Korea, Russia? I talked to John Nilsson-Wright, University Associate Professor in Modern Japanese Politics and International Relations at Cambridge University and Korea Foundation Korea Fellow and Senior Research Fellow for Northeast Asia with the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House. And as the government of PM Fumio Kishida boosts the defense investments, we have also discussed the attitudes of Japanese citizens towards a more complex and hostile regional and global security environment. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Wilder Alejandro Sanchez is an analyst of defense, trade and geopolitical issues in Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Western Hemisphere and the President of Second Floor Strategies, a consulting firm in Washington, DC. As his expertise stretched from the post-Soviet space to Latin America, I picked Alex's brain and we talked about how the mentioned regions reacted to the Russian war against  Ukraine. The focus of our conversion has been Kazakhstan, but we also talked about Moldova and Latin America and the Caribbean. Listen to our conversion. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

The first round of the presidential election in Czechia takes place on 13 and 14 January. There are three clear favorites for the run-off. Ex-Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, former rector of Mendel University in Brno Danuše Nerudová, and former Chair of the NATO Military Committee Petr Pavel. I talked to Seán Hanley, an Associate Professor in Comparative Central and East European Politics at the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies. We tried to assess what to expect from the presidential election and who might win this vote. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Russian President Vladimir Putin achieved less than nothing. This is how Tom Nichols assesses the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Tom is a staff writer at The Atlantic and Professor Emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, where he taught for 25 years. So is Putin the biggest loser of 2022? Are we witnessing Cold War 2.0? Read not just the latest Tom's book Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault From Within on Modern Democracy and listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Maria Avdeeva is Ukrainian disinformation and security expert from Kharkiv. From the beginning of the large-scale Russian invasion she is trying to document what is going on. I talked to Maria jusť before the big aggression and also a few times in the past months. And while the situation is complicated, I'm glad that we had a chance to reconnect. The war is raging but it's also a bit of a Christmas episode. Because there is hope for Ukraine, there must be hope for Ukraine. Listen to our conversation and find out how did Maria prepare "Russian warship, go fuck yourself" gingerbread. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Every comparison is a problematic one, but it is also interesting to educationally speculate. I talked to Rory Truex, an Assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. His research focuses on Chinese politics and authoritarian systems. We also discussed one very hypothetical question. Would Xi Jinping attack Ukraine if he would rule Russia? What was Rory's answer? How does he assess China-Russia relations but also internal dynamics within the CCP? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak