Chain Reaction

In the early 1990s, Kyrgyzstan was often referred to as an “island of democracy” in Central Asia.  Three distinguishing features of Kyrgyzstan include an active political opposition, a vibrant civil society, and independent media outlets.The current government is eliminating all three of those distinctions.On this episode of Report in Short, Aaron Schwartzbaum is joined by Bruce Pannier, a longtime journalist at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and author FPRI’s new report "Kyrgyzstan: Central Asia's Island of Democracy Sinks Into Authoritarianism" to discuss how the country reversed course to join the club of authoritarian governments in the region. More from FPRI's Central Asia Intiative  Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Russia has taken an increasingly authoritarian turn over the last decade, but is its political system fascist? Marlene Laruelle and Julian Waller join to discuss the blurry lines between politics, ideology, and terminology.Subscribe to the Bear Market Brief newsletter  Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

The death of Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi this past weekend has prompted questions about the future of the Islamic Republic, the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in Iranian domestic politics, and succession race for Supreme Leader Khamenei. Afshon Ostovar, a FPRI Senior Fellow, joined FPRI President Aaron Stein to discuss the latest developments in Iran. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Russia launched a new offensive near Kharkiv, amidst continuing questions about Ukraine’s ability to mobilize enough manpower to blunt Russian advantages. FPRI President Aaron Stein sat down with Senior Fellow Rob Lee to discuss the latest from the Russo-Ukrainian war. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Former US Ambassador to Georgia, Ian Kelly, discusses the implications of Georgia's proposed 'foreign agents' law on civil society, media, and Western relations. The podcast explores Georgia's political dynamics, alignment with Russia, NATO and EU aspirations at risk, analysis of protests, and the challenges of balancing Western alliances with sovereignty in Georgia.

Dr. Lukas Milevski, an expert in strategic studies, discusses the 20-year NATO membership of the Baltic states, covering topics like historical milestones, NATO deterrence strategies, Baltic contributions to missions, and the impact of US elections on Baltic defense.

The Bear Market Brief goes nuclear! Andrey Baklitskiy dropped by to discuss all of Russia's strategic red lines, what the introduction of hypersonic weapons means for global security, and more.Subscribe to the Bear Market Brief  Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Russia’s war against Ukraine has revealed stories about the heroic resistance efforts of Ukrainian women: from a grandmother launching a pickle jar against a drone to volunteers with territorial defense units. However, comparable stories have been entirely lacking on Russia’s side: How come?On this episode of Report in Short, Aaron Schwartzbaum is joined by Egle E. Murauskaite, author FPRI's new report "Russian Women in the Face of War Against Ukraine," to discuss the multifaceted role of Russian women in the conflict. Read the report here Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Baltic Ways Dr. Janet Laidla shares her work on charting the roles and contributions of women at the University of Tartu from the early days of the Estonian Republic, and what it means today. Explore from FPRI's Baltic Intiative here.  Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

If we know how Russia's presidential election is going to turn out... why even bother holding the election? Join András Tóth-Czifra and Olga Khvostunova for an exploration of electoral autocracy and the political moment.Subscribe to the Bear Market Brief newsletter  Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe