The Global Agora

What's next for the European Union after the European Parliament election? Will Ursula von der Leyen continue as the President of the European Commission? And what to expect from France on the EU scene as President Emmanuel Macron announced the early election and it could lead to a far-right government? I talked to Professor Erik Jones, Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute. 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 15 and 16 June, Switzerland is organizing a Summit on Peace in Ukraine and about 90 countries and organizations will attend. Russia wasn't invited and Ukrainian analyst Julia Kazdobina explains why. She is a Visiting Fellow at The Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies and she heads the Ukrainian Foundation for Security Studies. So what would be a successful summit for Ukraine and would be a failure? 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 Vladimir Putin afraid of? Should the West be concerned about Russian nuclear rhetoric? And what do current Putin's reshuffles and purges tell us about his regime? I talked to ⁠Andrei Soldatov⁠, a Russian investigative journalist, co-founder, and editor of Agentura.ru, a watchdog of the Russian secret services’ activities. He is also a nonresident Senior Fellow with the Center for European Policy (⁠CEPA⁠). Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

I talked to Aung Myo Min, Minister of Human Rights in the National Unity Government of Myanmar. Our interview was conducted at the CEE-Asia Forum in Bratislava organized by the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (⁠CEIAS⁠) and Slovak Foreign Policy Association (⁠SFPA⁠). We talked about whether the junta in Myanmar is losing, the role of Russia, China, India, and ASEAN, and also about Aung San Suu Kyi. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

I just returned from a one-week-long visit to Taiwan and this podcast is one of the results of spending a few days there. I talked to Lev Nachman, a political scientist, Assistant Professor at National Chengchi University in Taipei, and a co-author of the book Taiwan: A Contested Democracy Under Threat. We discussed the domestic political dynamic and, of course, the cross-Strait relations as on May 20th the presidential inauguration of Taiwan's President William Lai took place and it was almost immediately followed by Chinese military drills around the island state. Do you want to know what Lev's advice to PRC's leader Xi Jinping regarding Taiwan would be? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Alex Finley is a former officer of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, where she served in West Africa and Europe. She has penned three satires about the CIA: Victor in the Rubble, Victor in the Jungle, and Victor in Trouble. Satire about the CIA? In my view, the agency definitely deserves this kind of genre but still, I ask Alex why she chose it. But, of course, we also talked about some, let's say, more serious stuff, including if Russia's intelligence services can help install an American president. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Let's assume the West finds the magic pink castle in Hollywood, where all the stuff is stored that Ukrainians need and immediately transfers it on the magic carpet to Kyiv. Even with this, Ukraine would still have a problem. This is what Gustav Gressel said to me when we spoke about the situation on the frontline. He is a Senior Policy Fellow with the Wider Europe Programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations’ Berlin office focusing on armed conflicts, military affairs, and defense policy. We also discussed how the Russians are using the glide bombs and the tools of electromagnetic warfare and how this could be addressed. 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 Ukraine facing? What is Russia learning? Is it possible that Ukraine will lose the war as soon as this year? Mick Ryan⁠ is a military strategist and retired Australian Army major general and he explains why we have to talk about the worst scenario. We also discussed Ukraine's mobilization efforts and demography, and what the West has to do to help Kyiv. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Volodymyr Dubovyk is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations and Director of the Center for International Studies at Odesa I. Mechnikov National University. We talked about the US aid for Ukraine, how others need to step up, the difficult situation on the battlefield, and Ukraine's mobilization efforts. I also asked him how much is he concerned that Ukraine could lose the war. And at the end, we discuss the current state of Ukraine-Slovakia relations and the civic Slovak initiative Ammunition for Ukraine you can support. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

How close or far is the US from a civil war? This was my question for Jay Ulfelder, a political scientist who works as a Research Project Manager at the Nonviolent Action Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School. From 2001 until 2011, he served as Research Director for the Political Instability Task Force, a US Government-funded program that aims to help policymakers anticipate and understand various forms of political crisis around the world. This episode of my podcast has been partly inspired by a new movie Civil 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