Chain Reaction

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

Between a Russian offensive and the reelection of Donald Trump, the war in Ukraine hangs in the balance. Janis Kluge joins host Aaron Schwartzbaum to explore how we got here and what might happen next.Explore more from the Bear Market Brief Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode we explore the history and evolution of NATO’s relationships with its Indo-Pacific partners, the alliance’s role in the growing US-China rivalry, and look ahead to a new era of NATO engagement outside of the Atlantic in a time of increasingly interconnected global conflicts.  Featured guests:Gwendoline Vamos, Senior Officer, Asia-Pacific Global Partnerships at NATO HeadquartersIan Langford, senior military officer (retired), Australian Defense ForcesPeter Olive, senior military officer (retired), United Kingdom Royal NavyJohn Hemings, Senior Associate Director, Pacific ForumThis episode is part of a new limited series: The Ties That Bind: NATO at 75 and Beyond  Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

This week on The Continent: FPRI's Eurasia Program Director Maia Otarashvili joins Aaron to talk through recent parliamentary election results in Georgia and delve into an interesting question: how does a broadly pro-EU, Russia-skeptical country wind up with a euroskeptic, Russia-friendly government? Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

This week on Baltic Ways - The US election is approaching quickly with implications for America's allies in the world. Professors Margarita Šešelgyte (Vilnius University), Daunis Auers (University of Latvia), and Andres Kasekamp (University of Toronto) join a roundtable discussion on the impact that a Kamala Harris or Donald Trump presidency could have on the security and future outlook of the Baltic countries and broader European, and how people in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are feeling about the state of democracy in the US. This episode was recorded on September 25, 2024.Explore more from FPRI's Baltic Intiative.Baltic Ways is a podcast brought to you by 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

Located only 30 km from the border with Russia, the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv was the object of another Russian offensive earlier this year. Although Ukrainian forces stopped Russia's drive to capture the city, Kharkiv still endures daily attacks from Russian glide bombs, drones and missiles. Although Ukraine has the capability to strike back at the aircraft and airfields supporting these attacks, it lacks permission to use Western weapons to do so. Join Bob Hamilton as he interviews Kharkiv resident and FPRI Senior Fellow Maria Avdeeva about how her city is enduring these daily attacks and how Ukraine would strike back if given permission.Read Maria's recent analysis on why Ukraine should be allowed to strike back here. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Fabrice Deprez, a seasoned French journalist and Kyiv correspondent, shares poignant insights from his frontline visit to Pokrovsk. He vividly illustrates the harsh realities of daily life in a war-torn city amid ongoing conflict. The discussion covers the complexities of surviving winter amid energy crises and military shortages. Deprez also highlights the challenges of recruitment and shifting strategies in Ukraine’s military efforts, providing a candid look at how conflict reshapes human experiences and community resilience.

It has been 15 months since the Wagner Group's founder Yevgeny Prigozhin led the group's ill-fated march on Moscow and 13 months since Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash almost certainly orchestrated by the Kremlin. Prigozhin is gone but his group lives on. Join host Bob Hamilton as he discusses the group's current operations in Africa and elsewhere with Colin Clarke, Chris Faulkner, and Raphael Parens. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe