In this episode of Chain Reaction, Aaron speaks with Mike "Pako" Benitez, a retiring active-duty officer with over 25 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force, about the history of no fly zones, the challenges in setting one up, and the risk of inadvertent escalation. Mike wrote a recent article with Mike “Starbaby” Pietrucha about the topic and is the editor of the Merge newsletter.Related reading: The Dangerous Allure of the No Fly Zone - Mike Benitez & Mike Pietrucha - War on the Rocks

Debating a No Fly Zone: The Risk of Escalation with Moscow

Chain Reaction is the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s flagship network of podcast series examining the political, security, economic, and social trends shaping Europe and Eurasia. Throughout the year we are talking with experts about developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine, the new European security order, the past, present, and future of the Baltic States, Russia’s political economy, and great power competition in the region. Join us each month for : The Continent, Bear Market Brief, Baltic Ways, Report in Short

News

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.

Russia Launches New Offensive in Ukraine

For weeks tens of thousands of Georgians have taken to the streets of Tbilisi and other cities to protest their government's attempt to pass a so called "foreign agents" law, which they claim is intended to neutralize civil society and destroy independent media. To discuss the implications of these events for Georgia and the West, Ian Kelly, who served as US Ambassador to Georgia from 2015-2018, joins host Bob Hamilton on Chain Reaction.This episode was recorded on May 7, 2024. Related Reading:Government vs. the People in Georgia Subscribe for updates from FPRI's Black Sea Initiative 

Georgian Dream or Russian Nightmare?

This year, NATO marks its 75th anniversary, while the Baltic countries celebrate 20 years as members of the alliance. Dr. Lukas Milevski speaks about the history of that inclusion, and shares his thoughts about the future. Milevski is a tenured assistant professor at Leiden University, where he teaches strategic studies in the BA International Studies and MA International Relations programs. He has published widely on strategy, including two books with Oxford University Press: The Evolution of Modern Grand Strategic Thought (2016) and The West’s East: Contemporary Baltic Defense in Strategic Perspective (2018).For more from the world of Baltic studies visit us on Substack. 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.

The Baltic States Mark Two Decades of NATO Membership

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 

No Nukes is Good Nukes

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

Debating a No Fly Zone: The Risk of Escalation with Moscow

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