Chain Reaction

This week on Chain Reaction, we feature an installment of the Baltic Ways podcast. Host Indra Ekmanis welcomes back professors Margarita Šešelgytė (Vilnius University), Daunis Auers (University of Latvia), and Andres Kasekamp (University of Toronto) for a roundtable discussion on the first two months of Donald Trump’s second term and the US administration’s impact on the Baltic countries and broader Europe. This episode was recorded on March 14, 2025.You May Be Interested InBaltic Roundup | March 2025 A look back on the month’s major political, cultural, and economic events in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.Explore more from FPRI’s Baltic Initiative here. Baltic Ways is a podcast from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, produced in partnership with the Baltic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AABS or FPRI. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Maximilian Hess, founder of Nmedina Advisory and expert on political risk, joins to analyze the fallout from the recent Oval Office clash between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. They dive into the seismic shifts in transatlantic relations, the prospects for a ceasefire in Ukraine, and the complexities of U.S.-European alliances. Hess outlines the implications for military aid negotiations and discusses how sanctions might evolve amidst rising global tensions. His insights clarify the interplay between geopolitical strategies and economic realities.

Rick Landgraf, a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and expert on NATO, discusses the alliance's role amidst resurgent Russian threats and evolving U.S. policies. He highlights NATO's historical significance over 75 years and the personal relationships essential for unity among member nations. The conversation dives into Ukraine's NATO aspirations and the implications of shifting U.S. commitment, especially regarding European defense responsibilities and nuclear capabilities. Rick's insights urge listeners to consider the future of transatlantic security critically.

While the military situation in Ukraine continues apace, with grinding Russian assaults gaining ground daily, but at a reduced pace and increasing rate of casualties, the diplomatic situation is changing rapidly. A flurry of US diplomatic activity aimed at ending the war has unnerved Ukrainians and America's allies, who fear the US is preparing to cut a deal with Russia over their heads. This activity includes a bilateral meeting between the US and Russia in Saudi Arabia that excluded America's NATO Allies and Ukraine itself, a series of confusing and contradictory statements from US officials, and an escalating war of words between the US and Ukrainian presidents. To help us make sense of both the military and political situations, Konrad Muzyka, who recently returned from Ukraine, joins Bob Hamilton on this episode of Chain Reaction.For more military analysis of the Russian invasion of Ukraine check out Konrad’s Ukraine Conflict Monitor.This episode was recorded on February 20, 2025. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Olena Snigyr, a Ukrainian scholar and fellow at FPRI, dives deep into Russia's ideological motivations behind its aggressive actions. She discusses the contradictions in Russian narratives that portray the West as both declining and threatening. Snigyr highlights how nationalism and religion shape these narratives, and how propaganda intertwines themes of Nazism and liberalism to project Russia as a defender against Western oppression. The conversation explores the sophisticated evolution of Russian narratives and their global implications, especially in the context of Ukraine.

Lieutenant Colonel Denys Yurchenko is a Ukrainian officer specializing in international military cooperation. He shares insights from his FPRI report on Russian strategic culture during the war in Ukraine. Yurchenko discusses how understanding Russia's historical mindset can inform new strategies to counter its aggression. He analyzes the miscalculations behind Russia's invasion and highlights Ukraine's urgent need for military support, advocating for stronger ties with NATO to secure lasting peace in Europe.

This week on The Ties That Bind: NATO at 75 and Beyond: In this episode we look back at a defining year in NATO history and we look ahead to the challenges and the opportunities positioned to shape the alliance in the coming years and decades. Featured guests: * Nina Soljan, Head of NATO Affairs and Security Policy, NATO Headquarters* Susan Colbourn, Historian; Associate Director of the Program on American Grand Strategy, Duke University * Sara Moller, Associate Professor, Security Studies Program at Georgetown University; Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security; Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council. Explore more from the The Ties That Bind: NATO at 75 and Beyond project. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

This week on the Bear Market BriefWhere does the US stand in the world as Trump (re)assumes office? How is his approach towards Ukraine shaping up? Stephen Wertheim, Senior Fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, joins Aaron Schwartzbaum to explore the broader context and drivers of how policy towards Russia will, and will not, be made.Read Stephen’s latest piece for Foreign Affairs here.This episode was recorded on December 20, 2024. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Rick Landgraf sits down with Representative Brendan Boyle (PA-02) to discuss the Congressman's role in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly's political committee, future challenges facing the alliance, and the relevance of NATO on a local level. Explore from The Ties That Bind: NATO at 75 and Beyond Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Ben Gardner-Gill sits down with Lithuanian political scientist Andžej Pukšto to talk about the results of the 2024 European elections, with a focus on two Baltic members of the European Commission: Kaja Kallas of Estonia and Andrius Kubilius of Lithuania. Both former prime ministers, Kallas and Kubilius have unique challenges ahead of them as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. Kallas will lead EU foreign policy, and Kubilius will be the first-ever EU Commissioner for Defense and Space. Pukšto shines a light on what they’ll prioritize, what advantages they have entering their new jobs, and how they might overcome the roadblocks ahead.Baltic Ways is brought to you by the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS), produced in partnership with the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the official position of AABS or FPRI. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe