Talk Eastern Europe

This 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 University, Queens College and the Graduate Center, CUNY. She specializes in comparative and international politics, specifically in the South Caucasus.Alexandra and Julie discuss the fallout from Azerbaijan’s recent forceful takeover of the Nagorno-Karabakh region in both Armenia and Azerbaijan. They also look at the wider consequences in the South Caucasus region and the roles of Russia and Turkey.Read two commentaries recently published on New Eastern Europe:“A modern-day ethnic cleansing: Karabakh Armenians flee as Azerbaijan takes over” https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/09/29/a-modern-day-ethnic-cleansing-karabakh-armenians-flee-as-azerbaijan-takes-over/“Military operation in Karabakh: the final battle?” https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/09/29/military-operation-in-karabakh-the-final-battle/ Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj

New co-host Alexandra Carpí joins the podcast to discuss political developments in Slovakia and the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. They also explore Russian influence in the South Caucasus, focusing on Georgia and the current state of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. The impact of Russia's growing population in Georgia is examined, including its effects on local communities and the economy.

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYjTensions 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 Kosovo with Leon Hartwell, a Senior Associate at LSE IDEAS, London School of Economics, and a non-resident senior fellow at CEPA. Leon takes listeners through the challenges faced in the process and discusses why the process is unlikely able to find an outcome.In our bonus section which is available exclusively for our Podcast Patrons, Adam and Leon discuss the role of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the Western Balkans and Serbia’s ambiguous approach to the war. Listen to the whole episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-152-as-89970457Read more on New Eastern Europe:“Cake doughnuts and western diplomacy” by Leon Hartwell. New Eastern Europe issue 5/2023: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/09/11/cake-doughnuts-and-western-diplomacy/“Twenty years later: exposing the hidden cause for the delayed EU integration of the Western Balkans” By Antonios Nestoras. New Eastern Europe issue 5/2023: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/09/11/twenty-years-later-exposing-the-hidden-cause-for-the-delayed-eu-integration-of-the-western-balkans/“Kosovo-Serbia dialogue: a perpetual state of stagnation” By: Visar Xhambazi. New Eastern Europe issue 5/2023: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/09/11/kosovo-serbia-dialogue-a-perpetual-state-of-stagnation/ Check TEE out online at: www.talkeasterneurope.eu

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYjThis 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 Defence of Ukraine and previously served as an Adviser to the Ministries of Defence and Information Policy. Together they discuss the ongoing counteroffensive, how to argue against the growing number of voices in the West calling for a settlement with Moscow, and what to expect in the coming months. Check out the newest issue of New Eastern Europe now available here: https://bit.ly/44U8i0ZOn Slovak elections, leaders and kingmakers: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/09/19/slovakias-parliamentary-election-the-leaders-and-the-kingmakers/Background on the Nagorno-Karabkh Conflict and our interview with Thomas de Waal: https://talkeasterneurope.eu/episodes/episode-133-the-blockade-of-the-lachin-corridor-187

Support 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 next for politics inside Russia? And is Prigozhin really dead?To help answer these questions, Adam sits down with Olga Lautman, a Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).The interview takes place after a short rundown of the latest news in our region.Share your feedback, let me know your thoughts about the interview and other stories we should be looking at.Find Adam on X/Twitter: @areichardtCheck out previous episodes on Prigozhin and the Wagner GroupEpisode 130: The Wagner Group https://talkeasterneurope.eu/episodes/episode-130-the-wagner-group-200Episode 145: Prigozhin's march of justice fails to reach its destination https://talkeasterneurope.eu/episodes/episode-145-prigozhins-march-of-justice-fails-to-reach-its-destination-864

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYjTalk 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 Council's Eurasia Center and an accredited freelance journalist covering Eurasian affairs and European energy security matters. They discuss the role of sanctions and their role in stopping (or not) Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. They also touch on the ongoing Ukrainian counter-offensive as well as the recent US political developments and the recent Republican primary debate. Read more: “The dream of sanctions stopping wars” by Svenja Petersen. New Eastern Europe Issue 3-4/2023, https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/07/04/the-dream-of-sanctions-stopping-wars/“Armenia: Russia’s backdoor to circumvent sanctions” by Aleksandar Srbinovski, New Eastern Europe 26 May 2023. https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/05/26/armenia-russias-backdoor-to-circumvent-sanctions/ More by Mark Temnycky on New Eastern Europe: “Azerbaijan tightens blockade as Armenia calls for assistance” https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/08/30/azerbaijan-tightens-blockade-as-armenia-calls-for-assistance/“Uncertainty lies ahead for Georgia” https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/06/05/uncertainty-lies-ahead-for-georgia/“The Russo-Belarusian Union State is here” https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/04/27/the-russo-belarusian-union-state-is-here/ Check us out at: https://www.talkeasterneurope.eu

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYjAs 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 withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal.Aga then sits down with three guests - Stephan Müller from the Central Council of German Sinti and Roma, Isak Skenderi from a Kosovo-based NGO "Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians" (VORAE), and Natali Tomenko from the Agency for the Advocacy of Roma Culture (ARCA) in Ukraine. Together they discuss the experience of different Roma communities in conflict zones and post-conflict environments, using the example of Kosovo as a source of lessons learned for Ukraine.Find out more about our guests' organisations:Central Council of German Sinti and Roma: https://zentralrat.sintiundroma.de/en/VORAE: https://www.vorae.org/ARCA: https://arca.org.ua/en/about_us/You can follow our guests and their activities on Twitter (or is it just "X" now??) @muellerbudapest, @isakskenderi and @TomenkoNataliNatali's art can be found at https://www.natalitomenko.com/

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYjIn 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”. They discuss the outcomes of the NATO Summit in Vilnius, how it met Ukraine’s expectations. Yulia also shares her assessment of the current Ukrainian counter-offensive and how Russia is changing its tactics. Read Yulia’s latest essay from the most recent issue of New Eastern Europe: “NATO should reconsider its policy on Ukraine’s membership” https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/07/04/nato-should-reconsider-its-policy-on-ukraines-membership/ Check out the latest issue of New Eastern Europe now available here: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/07/04/issue-3-4-2023-beyond-the-fence/

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYjIn 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 also to Red Cross convoys providing humanitarian assistance to Nagorno-Karabakh.Aga then sits down with Vessela Tcherneva, deputy director of the European Council on Foreign Relations and head of ECFR’s Sofia office, to discuss everything you need to know about the European Political Community - a new pan-continental discussion and cooperation forum. Aga and Vessela talk about how the EPC has developed since its idea was first floated by French President Emmanuel Macron and what are the domains in which the Community can have the biggest added value. They also take stock of the EPC's recent second summit which took place in Moldova and consider predictions for an upcoming summit in Spain. Find out more about our guest at https://ecfr.eu/profile/vessela_tcherneva/Vessela's recent publication on the topic can be found at https://ecfr.eu/article/the-future-of-the-european-political-community/

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYjAga 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 European Studies at the University of Warsaw. Together, they discuss the origins of Prigozhin's march on Moscow on 23-24 June, its conduct, the surprising resolution of the crisis involving Belarus' Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and potential aftermath for all parties involved.Find more analysis on Russia from the Center for European Studies at https://www.osw.waw.pl/enRead the latest on New Eastern Europe- "The point of no return" by: Valerii Pekar https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/06/30/the-point-of-no-return/- “Russia’s Wagner rebellion: how will Putin emerge from the crisis?” Joshua R. Kroeker, https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/06/29/russias-wagner-rebellion-how-will-putin-emerge-from-the-crisis/