Talk Eastern Europe is back from its August break! In this episode, Adam, Alexandra and Nina run through some of the bigger stories from the region, including developments in the Balkans, Poland, the EU, and look at the global implications of China’s victory celebrations this week.

After the news, Adam and Nina are joined by Pavel Havlíček, research fellow at the Prague-based Association for International Affairs (AMO) to discuss the recent Trump–Putin meeting in Alaska and what it means for Ukraine’s future. The episode explores the high-stakes diplomacy shaping the war and the prospects for peace, which President Trump has been pursuing since before his inauguration.

In the bonus section to this episode – Pavel gives us a peek into Czech domestic politics, as the country prepares for parliamentary elections in early October.

>>> Click here to listen to the bonus content.

For further reading:

“A recipe for an unfair stalemate, not a just peace” – CoryAlpert, New Eastern Europe https://neweasterneurope.eu/2025/08/20/a-recipe-for-an-unfair-stalemate-not-a-just-peace/

“Scenarios for the end of the war” – Andrii Dligach & ValeriiPekar, New Eastern Europe https://neweasterneurope.eu/2025/09/01/scenarios-for-the-end-of-the-war/

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 Alexandra start by discussing the latest news including fears of interference in Moldova’s upcoming elections, the upcoming inauguration Poland’s new president as well as some worrisome security breaches in the Baltics.

For the main interview,  Adam sits down with Kyiv-based journalist Aleksander Palikot to discuss the recent political crisis surrounding Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions, NABU and SAPO. Aleksander explains the background of these agencies, the controversial law passed by parliament to strip their independence, and the wave of spontaneous protests which followed. They also discuss the wider implications for President Zelenskyy, public trust, and Ukraine’s path towards EU membership.

Further reading: “How Zelenskyy undermined Ukraine’s path to EU membership and what happens next” https://neweasterneurope.eu/2025/07/29/how-zelenskyy-undermined-ukraines-path-to-eu-membership-and-what-happens-next/ 

Support the podcast, get great benefits, join us on Patreon: 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.

Episode 232: Book talk: The history of queer life in Bosnia and Herzegovina

In this episode, Adam and Nina cover several key developments from the region, including the latest from Ukraine, breaking news from Moldova, far-right marches across Poland, and the EU’s adoption of its 18th package of sanctions against Russia.

Later in the episode, Alexandra and Nina are joined by Matej Vrebac, Programme Coordinator at the Sarajevo Open Centre, who researches queer history in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Matej is one of the authors of the recent publication The History of Queer Life in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The conversation explores the motivation behind documenting queer history in the region, how queer lives have appeared in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s past, including in folk traditions, and the importance of conducting such research and making it accessible. The book is available here in Bosnian, Croatian, and Serbian (BCS), with plans to publish an English edition in the future: 

https://soc.ba/historija-kvir-zivota-u-bosni-i-hercegovini-prva-publikacija-koja-sveobuhvatno-dokumentuje-prisustvo-zivote-i-otpor-kvir-osoba-u-bih/

Support Talk Eastern Europe. Join our Patreon community! www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

Check out the latest of issue of New Eastern Europe – Rebalancing the Baltics Sea Region

In this special edition of Talk Eastern Europe, Alexandra reports in-person from Sofia for a deep dive into disinformation and digital interference in Bulgaria during the last several years of perpetual election campaigning. She speaks with experts Angel Petrov, Gloria Trifonova, and Petko Petkov on Bulgaria’s political landscape, local and Russian backed disinformation, the rise of far-right political actors, and why Russian narratives have resonance in the country.

Commentary by:

• Angel Petrov, World News Reporter at Dnevnik.bg 

• Gloria Trifonova, FIMI Analyst at the Center for the Study of Democracy

• Petko Petkov, a Bulgarian software developer and system architect based in Kyiv and public representative of the BG Elves

To watch the full-length interviews and other behind-the-scene clips, you can check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

Research for this podcast episode was made possible with the support of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Washington, DC’s Transatlantic Media Fellowship. Find out more about the Fellowship, and the Foundation’s work, here: https://us.boell.org/en/2025/05/22/2025-cohort-transatlantic-media-fellowsCheck out the previous episode in this series:

https://talkeasterneurope.eu/episodes/episode-225-live-from-bucharest-romanian-democracy-is-being-pushed-to-its-limits

In this episode, Alexandra and Nina discuss the blockades across Serbia, the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide, Russia’s largest air assault on Ukraine to date, and reflect on the conclusion of Poland’s EU presidency.

Later in the episode, Nina speaks with Norwegian documentary filmmaker Tommy Gulliksen about his latest documentary, Facing War. The documentary follows NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg through his final year in office in 2024, as he works to maintain unity within the alliance and sustain support for Ukraine. The film shows NATO high-stakes meetings with world leaders a offers a rare and intimate look at diplomacy in times of war.

More info about the film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt35671816/Support us on Patreon: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

Episode 229: Film talk – Black Snow

In this episode, Adam and Nina catch up on the latest news, including a discussion on the outcomes of the historic NATO Summit in The Hague, highlights of the Pride in Budapest, recent clashes and arrests during protests in Serbia and ongoing protests in Georgia.

Later in the episode, Nina speaks with Alina Simone, a Ukrainian-American journalist and filmmaker whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Guardian Long Read. They go behind the scenes of Black Snow, a powerful documentary set in a remote Russian mining town where black snow falls due to extreme pollution. Alina reflects on the experience of making the film and the broader challenges of environmental activism in today’s Russia.

Read more about the film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31462874/

More on the guest: https://www.alinasimone.com/about-alina-simone/

Sign up for the Brief Eastern Europe newsletter: https://briefeasterneurope.eu/subscribe

In this episode Adam and Alexandra open with some discussion on the latest news, including the release of 14 political prisoners in Belarus, repressions taking place in Azerbaijan, Romania and Georgia.

For the main deep dive, Alexandra and Nina continue on the Georgian theme by speaking with Teona Macharashvili, co-founder and board member of Caucasus Open Space, and a committed pro-democracy activist, to unpack the latest developments in Georgia. Teona shares powerful first-hand insights from the ongoing protests, which have now continued for over 200 days.

In the exclusive bonus segment – available to our Patrons - Teona sheds light on recent cuts to US foreign aid and what they mean for civil society and human rights defenders on the ground in Georgia.

Listen to the bonus content here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-228-132340122

Further reading:

Repression in Azerbaijan - An interview with Cesare FigariBarberis: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2025/06/24/repression-in-azerbaijan/

The 2024 Georgian elections and their geopolitical implications, Vakhtang Maisaia:

https://neweasterneurope.eu/2025/05/05/the-2024-georgian-elections-and-their-geopolitical-implications/

History rhymes: intellectual resistance and state repression in Georgia, Tamar Gamkrelidze:

https://neweasterneurope.eu/2025/03/24/history-rhymes-intellectual-resistance-and-state-repression-in-georgia/

Sign up for our weekly newsletter – Brief Eastern Europe:

www.briefeasterneurope.eu

In this episode, Alexandra and Nina discuss recent developments across Central and Eastern Europe, including the latest charges in North Macedonia following the tragic nightclub fire in Kočani, ongoing protests in Serbia, and a vote of no confidence in the Czech Republic.

The main interview features Daryna Pidhorna, Senior Lawyer at the Regional Centre for Human Rights. Daryna explores how Russia's aggression is targeting Ukrainian culture, impacting museums, festivals and outlines what can be done to safeguard Ukraine’s cultural heritage during wartime. She also shares what life is currently like in Kyiv and reflects on the atmosphere in the city as Russia steps up its aerial attacks.

In the bonus content for our patrons, Daryna stays on to delve into the repatriation of cultural property. She explains how Ukraine is working to recover looted heritage and highlights lessons that can be drawn from other countries’ experiences in reclaiming stolen cultural assets.

To listen to the bonus content visit: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-227-131877614

 Read Adam’s takeaways from the Globsec Conference featured in Brief Eastern Europe: https://briefeasterneurope.eu/p/june-16-2025Additional 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 special episode, Nina, Alexandra and Adam host a special episode recorded live with the Patrons of Talk Eastern Europe. They start with a discussion on recent news developments, including Ukraine’s Operation Spider Web, Bulgaria joining the Eurozone, and the latest on repressions in Georgia.

During the main episode, Adam is put in the hot-seat with Alexandra and Nina asking about the recent elections in Poland. They discuss the overall results of both rounds as well as key context heading into the elections. They also discuss how the new president-elect, Karol Nawrocki may act in relations with Europe, but also on  the situation with Ukraine.

During our bonus section, the co-hosts address patrons questions and discuss in-depth the political repercussions of the election result and what could come next for Poland.

The bonus content can be found here:

https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-226-131296617

Thank you to all of our patrons who joined us during the recording and all of those who support Talk Eastern Europe. If you want to support the podcast and gain access to additional benefits and bonus content, join us here: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

We also were short-listed for “Best Deep Dive Podcast” at the recent Publisher Podcast awards, and Alexandra attended the awards on behalf of Talk Eastern Europe. We didn’t win, but we were honored to be even considered among such prestigious colleagues. Pictures are available on our Patron Facebook Page.

In this special edition of Talk Eastern Europe, Alexandra reports in-person from Romania for a deep dive into the recent presidential elections. She speaks with experts Laura Stefan, Diana Filimon, and Vlad Barleanu about what happened in these dramatic elections, the allegations of digital interference from Russia, how the public responded, and what it all means for Romanian democracy.

Commentary by:

• Laura Stefan, Founder and the Rule of Law and Anticorruption Coordinator for ExpertForum
• Diana Filimon, Founder and President of Forum Apulum, Founder of Gen, știri
• Vlad Barleanu, former journalist and current PR specialist 

To watch the full-length interviews and other behind-the-scene clips, you can check out our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

Research for this podcast episode was made possible with the support of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Washington, DC’s Transatlantic Media Fellowship. Find out more about the Fellowship, and the Foundation’s work, here: https://us.boell.org/en/2025/05/22/2025-cohort-transatlantic-media-fellows

Finally, thank you to Patrícia Raposo, Young European Ambassador for the EU Neighbours East and Policy Trainee at the Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs, for her assistance in the research process.