Talk Eastern Europe

In this episode Adam and Maciek catch up with Shaun Walker – a journalist, writer and Guardian correspondent for Central and Eastern Europe. Shaun spent over a decade in Russia as a journalist and foreign correspondent. He is also the author of the book The Long Hangover: Putin's New Russia and the Ghosts of the Past published by Oxford University Press. Shaun talks about his experience in Russia, his time in Eastern Ukraine in 2014 as well as some reflections on current developments.We would like to thank all of our patrons for supporting the podcast! If you’d like to pitch in to help us develop – click here: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneuropeJoin the debate – we are on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/talkeasterneurope Don’t forget to check out the newest issue of New Eastern Europe here: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/01/28/issue-1-2-2020-bound-to-explode/Follow Shaun Walker on Twitter: https://twitter.com/shaunwalker7Resources:The Long Hangover: Putin's New Russia and the Ghosts of the Past: https://www.amazon.com/Long-Hangover-Putins-Russia-Ghosts/dp/0190058846/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+long+hangover&qid=1580492597&sr=8-1Putin’s ideas for 2024. By Agnieszka Legucka. New Eastern Europe 31 January 2020: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/01/31/putins-ideas-for-2024/

In the first episode of 2020, Adam and Maciek explore the current situation in Belarus. As the country is under more pressure from the Kremlin to implement greater integration with Russia, it tries to open up to the West. What’s more, presidential elections will be held later this year, putting into question the future of Belarus, its independence and what’s next for President Lukashenka.The podcast features an interview with Hanna Liubakova – a Belarusian journalist and 2019 World Press Institute Fellow. Hanna gives her insight on the current situation and what we can expect for Belarus in 2020. --> Want to support the podcast? Become a patron – www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope Thanks to all of our supporters and don’t forget to check out our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/TalkEasternEurope Hanna Liubakova on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HannaLiubakovaResourcesThe renaissance of Russia-Belarus relations. By: Monika Bickauskaite. New Eastern Europe 5 December 2019: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/12/05/the-renaissance-of-russia-belarus-relations/Integration on Hold for Russia and Belarus. By: John Lough and Katia Gold. Chatham House 14 January 2020: https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/integration-hold-russia-and-belarusMusic featured in the podcast licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Intro: Indie Rock by Scott Holmes: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Road_Trip_Indie_Rock/Indie_Rock_1327 Up Folk by Ketsa https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Ketsa/Above_and_Below/Up_Folk_1789

In the second part of this special two-part series, Maciek interviews Adam, the co-host of Talk Eastern Europe and editor in chief of New Eastern Europe. Listeners get a chance to learn more about Adam’s background, his hobbies, interests, the history of New Eastern Europe, as well as some hints on the region for the upcoming year.Follow Adam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/areichardtWe hope you enjoy the discussion. Don’t forget to check out Part I where Adam interviews Maciek.We wish all of our listeners a Happy New Year! And look forward to engaging with you online. Visit our Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/TalkEasternEurope Please support us! We need only SIX more patrons to reach our goal of 20! You can become a patron here: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope Music featured in the podcast licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Funk Interlude by Dysfunction_AL (c) copyright 2016 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/destinazione_altrove/53756 Ft: Fourstones - Scomber ( Bonus Track)“Sum of My Fears” by Dazie Mae: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Dazie_Mae/Last_Jazz_in_Paris/03-1518107-Dazie_Mae-Sum_of_My_Fears

In this special two-part series, we have decided to open up and give a special look into the co-hosts of Talk Eastern Europe. In this first part, Adam interviews Maciek. They discuss his background, hobbies, interests as well as predictions for the upcoming year for our region.Follow Maciek on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MakulskiMaciejWe hope you enjoy the discussion. Stay tuned for part II, where Maciek interviews Adam.We wish all of our listeners a Happy New Year!Please support us! We need only SEVEN more patrons to reach our goal of 20! You can become a patron here: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope Music featured in the podcast licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Carry Your Own Weight (Instrumental) by Forget the Whale https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Forget_the_Whale/What_I_Tell_Myself_Vol_2/Forget_the_Whale_-_Carry_Your_Own_Weight_InstrumentalMaximum Respect for YOU (ID 589) by Lobo Loco https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Lobo_Loco/LITTLE_CAESAR/Maximum_Respect_for_YOU_ID_589

In the final episode of our special series on Black Sea security, Adam and Maciek discuss the most recent NATO meeting of heads of states in London. Adam then interviews Victor Kipiani, chair of the Geocase think tank in Tbilisi (15.45), where they discuss implications for Georgia, the region and wider geopolitics.Follow Victor Kipiani on Twitter: @victor_kipiani https://twitter.com/victor_kipianiThank you to all of our listeners for making 2019 a successful year for Talk Eastern Europe. We look forward to new ideas and episodes for next year.Thank you for the Polish embassy in Georgia and NATO for the support of this special series.We wish you all peaceful holiday break and Happy New Year! Resources:The NATO “London Declaration”, issued by the Heads of State and Government participating in the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in London 3-4 December 2019 https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_171584.htm?selectedLocale=enNATO at 70 – cheating death, one threat at a time? By Wojciech Michnik. New Eastern Europe. 24 April 2019: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/04/24/nato-at-70-cheating-death-one-threat-at-a-time/Georgia’s long and uncertain road to NATO membership. By: Giorgi Goguadze. New Eastern Europe no. 5/2019: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/08/26/georgias-long-and-uncertain-road-to-nato-membership/*** Please SUPPORT the podcast – become a patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope Music featured in the podcast licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Intro: Indie Rock by Scott Holmes: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Road_Trip_Indie_Rock/Indie_Rock_1327- Chillin' With Jeris by copperhead. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/copperhead/35987 This episode is supported by funding from the Polish Embassy in Tbilisi in the framework of the NATO Contact Point Embassy (We thank them for their support!)

In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Adam interviews Emil Avdaliani, a Tbilisi-based expert and author with New Eastern Europe, on the role of geopolitics in the Black Sea region. They discuss Turkey-Russia relations, Chinese-American competition, the security risk of Iran’s proximity and Georgia’s place as an inter-connector for geopolitics. Follow Emil on Twitter: @emilavdaliani.Become a Patron! We need only 7 more patrons to reach our goal of 20 by January. Support us here: www.patreon.com/TalkEasternEurope Resources“A sea of insecurity” by Emil Avdalian. New Eastern Europe 5/2019: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/08/26/a-sea-of-insecurity/“China takes it all in the Black Sea region” by Michael Lambert. New Eastern Europe 19 February 2019: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/02/19/china-takes-it-all-in-the-black-sea-region/“Anaklia’s deep sea port – a new strategic pivot in Eurasia” by Beka Kiria. New Eastern Europe 12 June 2019: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/06/12/anaklias-deep-sea-port-a-new-strategic-pivot-in-eurasia/“Managed chaos: Russia’s deal with Turkey on northern Syria” by Gustav Gressel. European Council on Foreign Relations 3 November 2019. https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_managed_chaos_russias_deal_with_turkey_on_northern_syriaJoin us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/TalkEasternEurope Music featured in the podcast licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Intro: Indie Rock by Scott Holmes: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Road_Trip_Indie_Rock/Indie_Rock_1327Speaker Joy by Blue Dot Sessions - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/RadioPink/Speaker_JoyKirkus Interlude by Blue Dot Sessions - https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Architect/Kirkus_Interlude

Welcome to Episode 26 of Talk Eastern Europe! This episode features an interview with Marta Ardashelia of Sova.News – a Russian language portal based in Georgia.Adam and Maciek introduce the episode with a brief roundup of some of the most important developments in the region, including a look at the Normandy Summit in France and recent developments in Belarusian-Russian integration. Maciek then interviews Marta (17.35) and they discuss the challenge of Russian disinformation in Georgia, the rise of anti-western narratives in Russian-language media and how to combat it with a project like Sova.News.Resources- Five things to know in order to not freak out over the upcoming Putin-Lukashenka meeting by Yahor Azarkevich (New Eastern Europe): https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/12/06/five-things-to-know-in-order-to-not-freak-out-over-the-upcoming-putin-lukashenka-meeting/- Is Zelenskyy’s peace with Russia worth the price of Ukraine’s capitulation? By Taras Kuzio (New Eastern Europe): https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/12/04/is-zelenskyys-peace-with-russia-worth-the-price-of-ukraines-capitulation/- Sova.News – a Russian-language portal based in Georgia: https://sova.news/Marta Ardashelia on Twitter: @Ardashelia (https://twitter.com/ardashelia)Music featured in the podcast licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Intro: Indie Rock by Scott Holmes: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Road_Trip_Indie_Rock/Indie_Rock_1327hot lite core by panu: http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/panumoon/59084

How does the situation of extremism look in Georgia and the South Caucasus? How can these countries deal with returning members of ISIS and the challenge of their re-integration? For this and much more, check out the latest episode of Talk Eastern Europe. In this episode, our co-hosts Adam and Maciek explore the current outlook for Georgia in the realm of security in the wider region of the South Caucasus which also touches the Middle East. They also discuss Georgia’s view of NATO ahead of the high-level NATO meeting in London in December 2019. The episode finishes with Maciek’s interview with Giorgi Goguadze, director at the Georgian Center for Strategy and Development in Tbilisi with a discussion on these issues as well as the situation with violent extremism in the country and region.While you are here – why not help us reach our goal of getting 7 new supporters by January 2020?! Click here to become a Patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope ResourcesGeorgia’s long and uncertain road to NATO membership by Giorgi Goguadze, New Eastern Europe issue 5/2019: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/08/26/georgias-long-and-uncertain-road-to-nato-membership/Georgia debates NATO membership excluding defence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, OC Media, https://oc-media.org/georgia-debates-nato-membership-excluding-defence-of-abkhazia-and-south-ossetia/US base in Georgia – A scarecrow in Russia’s backyard? By Beka Chedia, New Eastern Europe, 4 November 2019: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/11/04/us-base-in-georgia-a-scarecrow-in-russias-backyard/Music featured in the podcast licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Intro: Indie Rock by Scott Holmes: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Road_Trip_Indie_Rock/Indie_Rock_1327Around the Cliffs by Lobo Loco is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 License: https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Lobo_Loco/My_Yearnings/Arround_the_Cliffs_ID_1202This episode is supported by funding from the Polish Embassy in Tbilisi in the framework of the NATO Contact Point Embassy (We thank them for their support!)

This episode is a part of a special series on Georgia and Black Sea Security funded by the Polish Embassy in Tbilisi.In this episode Adam interviews Egor Kuroptev, head of the Free Russia Foundation’s Tbilisi office. They discuss issues on Georgian-Russian relations, the ongoing borderization of the so-called South Ossetia (Tskhinvali) territory and the current threat to Georgian security as a result of the frozen conflicts.Resources:Episode 17 – Zelenskyy wins big in Ukraine; Georgia protests against Russian influencehttps://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/07/29/talk-eastern-europe-episode-17-zelenskyy-wins-big-in-ukraine-georgia-protests-against-russian-influence/The dimensions of Georgia’s frozen conflicts by Nino Kukhianidze. https://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/08/26/the-dimensions-of-georgias-frozen-conflicts/Georgia’s separatist regions at a standstill by Agnieszka Tomczyk. https://neweasterneurope.eu/2018/04/26/georgias-separatist-regions-standstill/Music featured in the podcast licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Intro: Indie Rock by Scott Holmes –http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Road_Trip_Indie_Rock/Indie_Rock_1327Sometimes by Frequency Decree - https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Frequency_Decree/Dubbed/Sometimes_1733This episode is supported by funding from the Polish Embassy in Tbilisi in the framework of the NATO Contact Point Embassy

This episode features an interview with Francis Fukuyama, a professor at Stanford University and author of the recent book Identity: the demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment.Maciek and Adam open with a small birthday celebration and later discuss the background to the interview. In the interview, Maciek and Prof. Fukuyama discuss the history of identity politics, how it fits in today’s context and also look at the role it plays in Russia. The interview can also be read in the new latest issue of New Eastern Europe.Please support our podcast – Become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneuropeCheck out the latest issue of New Eastern Europe here: http://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/11/13/new-old-faces-a-true-makeover-or-cosmetic-change/Resources:“Identity politics is nothing new”, A conversation with Francis Fukuyama. New Eastern Europe issue 6/2019: http://neweasterneurope.eu/2019/11/13/identity-politics-is-nothing-new/ “The new identity politics. Rightwing populism and the demand for dignity”. Eurozine 18 April 2019. https://www.eurozine.com/new-identity-politics/Identity: The Demand for Dignity and the Politics of Resentment By: Francis Fukuyama https://amzn.to/350ikPC