
Behind The Lines with Arthur Snell
Behind the Lines with Arthur Snell is a new geopolitics podcast. Every week we give the listener access to the best informed people to help you understand this turbulent world and get a feel for the things that will matter in the future.I am on Twitter @snellarthur and you can read some of my thoughts on world affairs here https://arthursnell.substack.com/If you enjoyed this podcast please spread the word and give us a positive review - as a brand new title it makes all the difference!" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Latest episodes

Apr 21, 2025 • 45min
The Geopolitics of Climate: how Tuvalu is thinking about possible extinction
What does the climate crisis mean for sovereignty in a world where certain countries face existential risk? I spoke to Taukiei Kitara, a native of Tuvalu, about the case of low-lying Pacific Islands, including his native Tuvalu.Please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky @snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 15, 2025 • 48min
RUSI/Disorder Partnership: Ransomware in our Age of Disorder
Read RUSI piece The Rise of Ransomware as a National Security Threat: https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/organised-cybercrime-rise-ransomware-national-security-threat Read RUSI piece Beyond the Bottom Line: The Societal Impact of Ransomware: https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/beyond-bottom-line-societal-impact-ransomware Please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky @snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 6, 2025 • 51min
The Crisis in The Atlantic Alliance ep 2
The impact on Central and Eastern Europe, with Jonathan TerraPlease sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky @snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 28, 2025 • 1h
The Crisis in the Atlantic Alliance
The Transatlantic Alliance is coming to an end. I discuss this with academic and journalist Jonathan Terra.Please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky @snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 24, 2025 • 55min
Blood, toil, tears, and sweat: the plight of migrant labourers in the Gulf
Every year, tens of thousands of labourers in the wealth countries of the Gulf, most of them migrants from South Asia, die in unsafe working conditions on construction sites. As the GCC states pour enormous resources into developing their infrastructure, little attention is paid to the plight of the people doing the actual building work. I spoke to James Lynch of FairSquare, a UK-based non-profit that researches and advocates for the rights of labourers in the Gulf.https://fairsq.org/Assistant Producer: Japji OberoiPlease sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky @snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 14, 2025 • 1h 3min
Myanmar: the Unfolding Civil War
For the past 4 years, Myanmar has experienced an ever more serious civil war, which now threatens the ruling military junta in Naypyitaw. I spoke to Ronan Lee about this little-reported conflict.You can find Ronan's work here: https://ronanlee.com/And my writing here: arthursnell.substack.com Please sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky @snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 7, 2025 • 43min
What does the collapsing global order mean for the world beyond the West?
Samir Puri, a geopolitics expert and director at Chatham House, discusses the evolving global order post-Western dominance. He highlights the rising influence of non-Western countries, particularly China, and explores the dynamics reshaping international relations. Puri examines the implications of shifting alliances, the impact of BRICS, and the complexity of Taiwan's position in this new landscape. He also reflects on the unpredictability of global politics and Europe's challenges amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Mar 6, 2025 • 49min
How the extremism of our age is being fed by disinformation
The role of disinformation in our current world, whether feeding the false allegations put out by Trump, the lies spread online by Elon Musk, or the over-reliance on social media for news coverage, is feeding the rise of extremism and dysfunction in democratic systems, to the detriment of liberal and progressive political movements. To help us understand this better, I was delighted to be joined by Amil Khan, CEO of Valent Technologies and a disinformation expert.Many thanks to Assistant Producer Japji OberoiPlease sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky @snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 2, 2025 • 36min
The latest from Kyiv: what does John Sweeney make of what's being going on?
I spoke to the man in the lucky orange hat, everyone's favourite war correspondent John Sweeney about the latest developments from Kyiv in this week of extraordinary events relating to Ukraine. Find John's work at x.com/johnsweeneyroarPlease sign up for my substack at arthursnell.substack.com and follow me on Bluesky @snellarthur.bsky.social. You can sometimes find me on other podcasts - most often Disorder which I am involved with in partnership with RUSI, the Royal United Services Institute, the world's oldest think tank. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 21, 2025 • 45min
THIS ONE'S A REAL EMERGENCY EPISODE: THE END OF THE WESTERN ALLIANCE
Join military expert Mike Martin, MP for Tunbridge Wells and member of the Defence Select Committee, as he dives deep into the precarious state of the Western Alliance. He discusses the declining influence of the U.S. in European security and the urgent need for a new Euro-Atlantic Treaty Organisation. Tensions between America and Europe are explored, alongside the ever-evolving support for Ukraine. Martin emphasizes the necessity for European nations to reassess their defense strategies in light of shifting geopolitical landscapes.
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