Adam, Alexandra, and Nina return after a short break to discuss the latest developments in the region. Topics include the situation in Ukraine, the introduction of a controversial "Russian-style" law targeting NGOs in Slovakia, the formation of a new government and prime minister in Serbia, and recent developments surrounding the presidential elections in Romania.

In the main interview, Alexandra and Nina speak with Olga Skrypnyk, Chairwoman of the Crimean Human Rights Group, and Viktoria Nesterenko, a human rights defender from the Human Rights Centre ZMINA in Ukraine. They delve into the current situation in Crimea, highlighting how various groups are persecuted and how some individuals have become political prisoners. The conversation concludes with reflections on the implications of the new US administration’s approach to the war in Ukraine and a discussion on what elements are crucial to include in any future peace negotiations.

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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.

Adam, Nina, and Alexandra are finally back together to discuss some news from the region. They cover the latest military draft in Russia, ongoing strikes in Ukraine, Hungary's decision to pull out of the International Criminal Court, and Adam gives his perspective on developments on the Polish-Belarusian border. 

For the deep dive, Alexandra speaks with Ognen Vangelov, Assistant Professor at University American College-Skopje in North Macedonia and a research fellow at Queen's University's Centre for the Study of Democracy and Diversity. They talk about the Macedonian government's response to a tragic nightclub fire on March 16th, which killed 59 young people, and long-standing concerns with corruption in the country. Ognen also takes stock of the government's overall performance in its first year in office, diving deep into the country's political scene. 

Check out the exclusive Patreon bonus content - North Macedonia's geopolitical realignment in a region on tenterhooks

Support the podcast - become a patron!

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To start of the episode, Adam and Alexandra talk about the prospect of foreign troop deployment in Ukraine, a historic border agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, a further crackdown against opposition in Georgia, and the fleeing of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik to Moscow.

Alexandra is then joined by policy analyst Alejandro Esteso Pérez, who specializes in the Western Balkans, EU enlargement, corruption, and authoritarianism. Alejandro shares findings from his latest research on how illiberal leaders in the region have instrumentalized and "illiberalized" the EU enlargement policy for their own, anti-democratic gains.

You can check out his research on the subject here: https://www.europeum.org/en/articles-and-publications/policy-paper-illiberalising-eu-enlargement-to-the-western-balkans/

In our bonus episode, Alexandra and Alejandro discuss the elections in Kosovo, which took place in February 2025, including what they could mean for domestic politics and the future of "normalization" talks with Serbia given the new geopolitical landscape in Europe and the US.

Check out the bonus content here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-217-test-125838495

Nina and Alexandra open the episode by discussing the ongoing negotiations in Riyadh between the US, Russia and Ukraine and providing an overdue update on the deteriorating situation for civil society and media in Georgia. They then talk about a potential final agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia and the assault of a journalist in Serbia.

For the main interview, Nina and Alexandra spoke with Leanid Marozau, the Head of the Legal Department and the Advisor on Legal Affairs to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the Belarusian democratic forces in exile. Together they discuss the latest political updates in Belarus and also the ongoing work of the democratic opposition outside the country. You can check out #bysol or Viasna if you'd like to support fundraising efforts for Belarusians - including political prisoners.

Bonus content: What do Belarusian youth think?

This week's bonus content for the TEE patrons features a short conversation with Leanid Marozau from Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's office. Leanid talks with Nina and Alexandra about youth both in Belarus and in the Belarusian diaspora. 

Listen to the bonus discussion here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-216-125301901

Support the podcast – become a TEE Patron!

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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/

Support the podcast – become a TEE Patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

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.

In this episode, Adam and Nina kick off with the latest headlines, including Ukraine’s ceasefire deal in exchange for renewed US military and intelligence aid, plus a NATO military chiefs’ meeting in Paris. They also break down what’s happening in Romania, the online clash between Poland’s Foreign Minister and Elon Musk, and wrap up with updates from Azerbaijan.

Later, Alexandra and Nina chat with Zuzana Pavlíčková, a human rights lawyer and Fulbright Scholar under the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship at the American University Washington College of Law. Zuzana dives into the crucial role civil society has played in the region—and why governments see it as a threat today. They take a step back to unpack what civil society actually is before getting into foreign agent laws and why they’re so controversial.

In the bonus content, Zuzana takes a closer look at foreign agent laws in Bulgaria, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Slovakia, and Russia—exploring what they have in common and where they differ.

Listen to our bonus content here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-214-124276657

Nina and Alexandra open this episode with a discussion on the latest news, including the fallout from last week’s oval office meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They also briefly touch on the political situation in Romania, Serbia as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the conviction of Milorad Dodik which is being challenged by Republika Srbska.

Later, Adam is joined by Isaac Stanley-Becker, an investigative reporter who has reported from across Europe and the United States. He earned his PhD in history from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. He is the author of the book “Europe without Borders: A History”. Isaac discusses the history of the Schengen agreement, its impact on Europe and how Europeanattitudes towards borders have changed, including in the sphere of defence.

In the bonus content Isaac and Adam discuss the disarray in Transatlantic relations under the new Trump administration and what it will take to repair them. Listen to our bonus content here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/123769540

Learn more about the book here: https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691261768/europe-without-borders

This special episode marks the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The three co-hosts are joined by a group of Talk Eastern Europe patrons and Iryna Krasnoshtan, an analyst and foreign policy expert from the International Center for Ukrainian Victory. Together, they reflect on how three years of war have reshaped life in Ukraine, discussing the tensions between the US and Ukraine, the support from European allies, and the impact of the USAID funding freeze on Ukrainian civil society and humanitarian groups. Iryna also shares ways listeners can continue supporting Ukraine and highlights what the country needs most from its European allies at this critical time.

If you want to keep supporting Ukraine, here are some ways you can help: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2025/02/24/ukraine-under-attack-how-to-help/ 

In our bonus content for patrons, the discussion continues as those who joined the call ask their own questions about Ukraine’s future. Do you want to listen in? Become a patron and tune in here: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

In this episode, the three co-hosts discuss key takeaways from the Munich Security Conference and a historic meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They also touch on the anniversary of Alexei Navalny’s death, Serbia’s Statehood Day, developments in Georgia, and promising news from North Macedonia.

Later, Nina speaks with Konstanty Kuzma and Moritz Pfeifer, the founders and editors of the East European Film Bulletin. They discuss the historical evolution of cinema in Eastern Europe, the current state of the region’s film industry, and where listeners can watch films from Eastern Europe today.

In the bonus content, Konstanty and Moritz shed light on major changes in the film industry following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Listen to the bonus content here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-211-122769663

Check out the East European Film Bulletin: https://eefb.org/

Films and Festivals mentioned in the interview:

Significant films from the region:

Man with a Movie Camera – Dziga Vertov

Daisies – Věra Chytilová

Directors to revisit:
Harutyun Khachatryan, Kira Muratova, Wojciech Wiszniewski

Films to watch for in 2025:

Waves – Jiří Mádl (CZ, SK)

Flow – Gints Zilbalodis (LV, BE, FR)

Kontinental '25 – Radu Jude (RO, HU, DE)

Człowiek do Wszystkiego – Anna and Wilhelm Sasnal (PL)

Jupiter – Andrey Zvyagintsev (RU, FR, ES)

Silent Friend – Ildikó Enyedi (HU, FR, DE, HK)

Spetsialna Operatsiia – Oleksiy Radinsky (UA, LT)

Film festivals in the region:

Golden Apricot International Film Festival – Yerevan, Armenia

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic

Sarajevo Film Festival – Bosnia and Herzegovina

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival – Estonia

25fps Zagreb – Croatia (focusing on experimental films and arts)

Specialized film festivals focusing on Eastern European cinema:

GoEast Film Festival –Wiesbaden, Germany

BEAST International Film Festival – Porto, Portugal

Eastern Neighbours Film Festival – The Hague, Netherlands

À l’Est Film Festival – Rouen, France

CinEast Film Festival – Luxembourg

South East European Film Festival – Los Angeles, USA

At the start of this episode, Adam, Nina, and Alexandra discuss developments in the Georgian opposition, the shifting US stance on Ukraine, cultural anecdotes from Russia, the resignation of the Romanian president and the Baltics' energy decoupling. For the main interview, Alexandra is joined by James Kerr-Lindsay, a leading author and expert in international relations, conflict and security to discuss the case of Kosovo, which declared its independence on February 17th 2008. They talk about what happened in the lead up to Kosovo's declaration of independence and what makes Kosovo a unique case under international law. You can watch more of James's content on his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEszqJb1FjYisBevHBIof3g

Get access to additional content - become a TEE patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

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 in this publication 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.