The Global Agora

It has now been more than ten years since citizens of the United Kingdom made the decision in a referendum to leave the European Union, Yet, the latest public opinion polls show that as many as 59% of Britons would support rejoining the EU. Does this mean, however, that the UK is ready to return? How is the EU viewing the prospect of renewed relations at a time of rising Chinese influence, unpredictable US politics, and ongoing Russian aggression? How should we assess the current debate about potential EU associate membership for Canada? And is there anything useful the UK can take away from this discussion? I discuss these questions and much more with Simon Usherwood, Professor of Politics and International Studies at the Open University. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Is the firewall a viable political strategy, and how could centrist parties deal with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the radical Left? Alexander Clarkson, Lecturer in European Politics and History at King's College London, has an idea. What is it? Do the AfD and the Left represent the same danger to German democracy? Could the AfD make territorial demands similar to those of the Nazis? And how can we talk about peace in times of war? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

More than two decades ago, I started my journalistic career covering the aftermath of the wars in the former Yugoslavia. My very first on-camera interview was about the Dayton Agreement. I have to say that I don't cover the Western Balkans as extensively as in the past, but it is always interesting to look at what is going on in the region. So, at the Europe Future Forum in Warsaw, I sat down with my friend Ivan Vejvoda from the Europe’s Futures Initiative, and we talked about his home country, Serbia. We discussed President Aleksandar Vučić’s maneuvers regarding Ratko Mladić’s funeral, Russia, and the European Union. And, of course, the upcoming elections that will be held on October 25. Will the Vučić regime prevail, or will the student movement show that the nationwide protests following the tragedy in Novi Sad in November 2024 can transform the country? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Elisabeth Braw is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative, and a columnist for Foreign Policy and Politico Europe. We met at the Europe Future Forum in Warsaw and discussed her new book, The Undersea War: The Battle to Control the Cables and Pipelines That Connect Our World, Russian sabotage operations, whether the West should give Moscow a taste of its own medicine, and why Sweden will never surrender. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

The 9/11 al-Qaeda attacks are one of the reasons why I am a foreign policy journalist. One of my motivations has been to understand the world better. In this episode of The Global Agora, I discussed what happened before 9/11, on the day of the attacks 25 years ago, and also what the legacy of Osama bin Laden is. I talked about all of this with Peter Bergen, Vice President for Global Studies and Fellows at New America, a professor of practice at Arizona State University, and CNN’s national security analyst. He is the author or editor of eleven books, including Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Bin Laden, The Osama bin Laden I Know, and the newest one, All the Presidents’ Wars. In 1997, Peter went to Afghanistan for the first TV interview with bin Laden. How did it happen? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Imagine a situation where Vladimir Putin wanted to attack NATO from Belarus. Would Alexander Lukashenko be willing to cooperate? "I don't think that he has a lot of choices here," said Hanna Liubakova to me. She is a Belarusian journalist, political analyst, and nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. Hanna has been sentenced in absentia to 10 years in prison by Lukashenko's regime. We discussed how strong or weak the reign of the Belarusian dictator is, what the opposition is like, what Lukashenko's authoritarian network looks like, and why she doesn't think that Lukashenko and Putin are friends. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

What is the techno-oligarchy? What roles and agendas do billionaires like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, and others have? How much do the interests of the techno-oligarchy intersect with those of geopolitical actors such as Russia and China? And where does President Donald Trump fit into all of this? I discuss this with Anton Shekhovtsov, Director of the Centre for Democratic Integrity and Visiting Senior Fellow at the Department of International Relations of Central European University (CEU). Can the techno-oligarchy cause the end of humanity? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

On August 15th last year, US President Donald Trump rolled out the red carpet for the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Do we live in a different world, or does Kyiv still feel the heat from the Anchorage summit? In this episode of The Global Agora, I discuss all Ukraine-related topics – from the drone campaign and changes in leadership to the situation on the battlefield – with Volodymyr Dubovyk, an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at Odesa I. Mechnikov National University and a Senior Fellow with the Democratic Resilience Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). What is currently – according to him – the biggest source of concern and doom in Ukraine? LIsten to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

The midterm elections are less than three months away, and part of the American political discourse is about alleged communists taking over the country. But in fact, it seems that diseases are taking over the United States. Is the US becoming a country of measles and diarrhea under President Donald Trump? David McCuan, a Political Science Professor at Sonoma State University, is one of The Global Agora's regular guests. We discuss the state of play before the midterms, what the vote can bring for Democrats and Republicans, and how labeling opponents as communists can help the GOP. And yes, we also talk about measles and diarrhea, and, inevitably, about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Is Vladimir Putin's grip on power weakened amid Ukrainian strikes? Can we expect a big mobilization in Russia? Will the upcoming Duma elections be totally faked? And while it's unlikely to happen, who could get rid of Putin? In this episode of The Global Agora, I speak with Anton Barbashin, an editorial director at Riddle and a political analyst who was just recently added to Russia's wanted list. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak