In this episode, Adam and Alexandra start by discussing the latest news from the region – including the fallout from the tragic fire which killed 59 people in North Macedonia as well as the massive protests which took place in Belgrade over the weekend. They also look at developments in Hungary as the opposition leader appears to be gaining momentum, while the government outlaws Budapest Pride.

Later, Adam is joined by Konstantin von Eggert, an independent journalist and political analyst and weekly columnist on Russian affairs for Deutsche Welle. Adam and Konstantin discuss the Trump/Putin phone call which was set to take place this week, the overall process and what are Putin’s aims in these so-called negotiations. Konstantin also shares his view on Europe’s reactions and the current European understanding of the threat.

Go even deeper – check out the latest commentaries on the New Eastern Europe website:

“A Zeitenwende comes from Washington: how long-term trends shaped a new politics” by: Valerii Pekar: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2025/03/14/a-zeitenwende-comes-from-washington-how-long-term-trends-shaped-a-new-politics/

“As a major military power, Ukraine has options” by: Kerel Dysler: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2025/03/18/as-a-major-military-power-ukraine-has-options/“Europe in the age of uncertainty”, by: Tony van der Togt, https://neweasterneurope.eu/2024/11/22/europe-in-the-age-of-uncertainty/

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Additional financing for this podcast is provided by the Polish MFA: Public task financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland within the grant competition “Public Diplomacy 2024 – 2025 - the European dimension and countering disinformation The opinions expressed on this podcast are those of the authors and do not reflect the views of the official positions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland.