Talk Eastern Europe

At the start of this episode, Adam, Nina, and Alexandra discuss developments in the Georgian opposition, the shifting US stance on Ukraine, cultural anecdotes from Russia, the resignation of the Romanian president and the Baltics' energy decoupling. For the main interview, Alexandra is joined by James Kerr-Lindsay, a leading author and expert in international relations, conflict and security to discuss the case of Kosovo, which declared its independence on February 17th 2008. They talk about what happened in the lead up to Kosovo's declaration of independence and what makes Kosovo a unique case under international law. You can watch more of James's content on his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEszqJb1FjYisBevHBIof3gGet access to additional content - become a TEE patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneuropeAdditional financing for this podcast is provided by the Polish MFA: Public task financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland within the grant competition “Public Diplomacy 2024 – 2025 - the European dimension and countering disinformation The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the official positions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.

In this episode, Adam and Alexandra start out by taking a look at the latest developments in the region, including the protests in Serbia, the impact of USAID funding cuts in the region, including in Ukraine, as well as a new energy deal between the European Commission and Moldova. Later, Adam is joined by Nurlan Aliyev, an expert on security issues, a lecturer in the University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw and author of the recently released book: Reassessing Russia's Security Policy published by Routledge. More on the book: https://bit.ly/42NbG06 Watch the conversation with Nurlan Aliyev on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KTJzbfhxkzA Don’t forget to check out our Exclusive TEE Bonus Content on the protests in Serbia: https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-121401661 Additional financing for this podcast is provided by the Polish MFA: Public task financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland within the grant competition “Public Diplomacy 2024 – 2025 - the European dimension and countering disinformation The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the official positions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.

In this episode, the three co-hosts Adam Reichardt, Nina Panikova and Alexandra Karppi start with some discussion about the ongoing protests in Serbia and Slovakia. They also discuss the results of last weekend’s president “election” in Belarus. Later, Adam and Alexandra are joined by Oktawian Milewski - a political scientist specialising in Central and East European studies and author of the recently published article “Countering FIMI. A review of seven countries under the Beacon Project” available on New Eastern Europe’s web site. They discuss the role of foreign interference and malign influence (FIMI) in Europe, especially from Russia and put it in the context of the recently annulled presidential election in Romania. Read more: “Countering FIMI. A review of seven countries under the Beacon Project” Oktawian Milewski, New Eastern Europe 15 January 2025: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2025/01/15/countering-fimi-a-review-of-seven-countries-under-the-beacon-project/ Become a patron and join our community of supporters! www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

Happy New Year from Talk Eastern Europe! In their first episode back from the winter break, Adam, Nina and Alexandra bring listeners up to speed on Donald Trump's inauguration in the United States, presidential elections in Belarus and Croatia, and the ongoing protests in Georgia and Serbia. For the main interview, Alexandra and freelance journalist Mark Temnycky recap the war in Ukraine in 2024 and discuss what to expect in 2025. Mark shares insights on Ukraine’s heroic gains, cracks in Russia's offensive and what we know (and don't know) about the future of western support to Ukraine.   Want to stay up to date on the latest from the region – sign up for the Brief Eastern Europe newsletter: https://briefeasterneurope.eu/ Support the podcast, get access to additional content: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

Tomasz Zając, an analyst at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, discusses Poland's upcoming presidency of the EU. He shares insights on Poland's strategic priorities, particularly in security and defense, amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Zając emphasizes the importance of Poland's leadership style compared to Hungary's and outlines initiatives like the European Defense Industrial Program. He also highlights Poland's role in supporting Ukraine's membership and fostering regional cooperation with Moldova and Georgia.

Co-hosted by: Adam Reichardt, Nina Panikova and Alexandra KarppiIn this episode, our co-hosts start with the latest news developments from Serbia, Ukraine and Georgia. Later in the episode, Nina chats with Julia Ivanochko, Editor-in-Chief of Ukraїner po polsku, the Polish-language edition of Ukraїner. They dive into Ukraine’s experience with Russian colonialism, how it compares to Western ideas of colonialism, and the main narratives about Ukraine that still linger today. Julia also shares her thoughts on how Ukraine is pushing back against these imperial narratives and working towards true national sovereignty. For those keen to delve deeper, Julia recommends the book Imperial Knowledge: Russian Literature and Colonialism by Ewa Thompson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1620644.Imperial_KnowledgeIn exclusive bonus content for our Patrons, Julia shares how contemporary Ukrainian artists are reclaiming their cultural heritage in the face of historical cultural erasure and the challenges posed by the ongoing war.  Make sure to check out Ukraїner, a media platform offering unique stories, videos, and photography about Ukraine’s historical regions and its cultural context abroad: https://www.ukrainer.net/en/You can also listen to their podcast Decolonisation, a series that explores why countering Russian imperial influence is essential for the future of global democracy. Listen in English via YouTube and Spotify, in Polish via YouTube and Spotify and in Czech via YouTube and Spotify.

In this episode, all three hosts discuss a turbulent week in the region, starting with the Romanian Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the presidential election, followed by developments in Ukraine and Georgia. They also celebrate Bulgaria and Romania’s entry into the EU Schengen Area.Later, Alexandra and Nina talk with Aleksandra Wojtaszek, a Polish translator and journalist, about her book Fjaka: A Season for Croatia. They delve into topics like tourism, the recent war, and the Dalmatian concept of fjaka—a state of relaxation and acceptance. The interview offers a deeper look at Croatia beyond its beaches, weaving a vivid narrative of its history and culture.In exclusive content for Patrons, Aleksandra speaks about Croatian language and she examines whether the breakup of Serbo-Croatian into distinct Croatian and Serbian languages mirrors the broader cultural and political desire for differentiation.Aleksandra’s book: Fjaka: A Season for Croatia can be found here in Polish language: https://czarne.com.pl/katalog/ksiazki/fjaka and here in Slovak: https://www.absynt.sk/fjaka Become a patron, join us at: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

In this episode, Alexandra and Nina start off with updates about the massive pro-EU protests across Georgia, speak about the recent explosion in the northern part of Kosovo, and touch upon election-related developments in Romania and Bulgaria. They close with news from Croatia, where the Health Minister was arrested on corruption charges brought by the European Public Prosecutor's Office.Later, Adam is joined by Fatos Lubonja, a writer and critic based in Albania. Fatos is a significant voice in Albanian literature and intellectual circles, known for his piercing critiques of totalitarianism and staunch advocacy for democracy and human rights. They discuss his works which were not only published in Albanian but also in English and most recently in Polish. Fatos also discusses how the 17 years he spent in Albania’s communist prisons has impacted his literature. Finally they talk about the current perspectives in Albania, including its EU integration.His book “Second Sentence. Inside the Albanian Gulag” can be found here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/second-sentence-9781845119249/You can watch the recent discussion at Columbia University on EU Enlargement in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine, featuring TEE’s Alexandra and Adam, here: https://www.youtube.com/live/nhb6hlt5Rdk?si=PpAEgzxQIB4TfWJkBecome a patron, join us at: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

In this episode, Alexandra and Nina delve into the surprising results of the first round of Romania's presidential elections and examine the latest developments in Serbia following the collapse of the Novi Sad train station. They also discuss news from Ukraine and Russia and conclude with some uplifting developments from Northern Macedonia.Later in the episode, Adam is joined by Hleb Liapeika, a former journalist who now coordinates communication efforts for the Belarusian diaspora in Krakow, Poland. Together, they explore how the diaspora is organised in Krakow and other locations, as well as their hopes for eventually returning to Belarus.For listeners in New York, don’t miss the chance to join Adam, Alexandra, and other excellent guests at an event on Monday, 2 December 2024, from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm. Find more details here: https://events.columbia.edu/cal/event/eventView.do?b=de&calPath=%2Fpublic%2Fcals%2FMainCal&guid=CAL-00bbdb70-930b0472-0193-0caeba8d-0000346aevents%40columbia.edu&recurrenceId&fbclid=IwY2xjawG1O95leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRp-0BkSJ_8WZP5qRv8hf_FJfqPpOaBp65OpIUqPVx2hopM50cURy-ZM_g_aem_kqV5w554ibE41SNeZVQN8w

In this episode, Alexandra, Adam, and Nina discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, protests in Abkhazia, and the recent parliamentary elections in Georgia. They also reflect on the 35th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Velvet Revolution and other key events of 1989.Adam and Nina are later joined by Leyla Mustafayeva, acting editor-in-chief of Abzas Media, who shares insights into Azerbaijan’s crackdown on civil society and media, including the use of the 29th UN Climate Summit to silence critics. Leyla also discusses Abzas Media’s work in exile.In exclusive content for Patrons, Leyla talks about Azerbaijan’s relationship with Russia and her experience as an independent journalist in exile.  Listen to it and become a Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope.Leyla also highlights Anar Mammadli, a political prisoner and human rights advocate, who has been in pre-trial detention since April. His detention was extended on 19 November for another three months. You can support his campaign to end repression in Azerbaijan here: https://free-anar.site/anar-mammadli/.