The Global Agora

Iran has hit Israel with up to 350 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles. Most of them were destroyed by the air defense as Israel's allies helped also. So what will follow after this unprecedented attack? How far is the Middle East from the big regional war? I talked to ⁠James Dorsey⁠, a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore. 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'm talking to Maria Avdeeva from Kharkiv from the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion. She is a security expert and I remember her telling me she wants to inform the world about what's going on in her country. And Maria is doing it all the time! This time we talk about how her city is constantly attacked and if we can expect a Russian ground offensive against Kharkiv. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

NATO is a success story, but as Alliance turns 75 can it also face demise? Over seven decades, what is the brightest hour, and what about the most problematic moment of NATO? And is Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk right when he says Europe could be in the pre-war era as Russia continues with its aggression against Ukraine? I talked to John Deni, a Research Professor of Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational (JIIM) Security Studies at the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute. Before joining the U.S. Army War College, John worked for 8 years as a political advisor for senior American military commanders in Europe, but his views do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Government. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Russia was attacked by Islamic State but Moscow is trying to shift the blame and is spreading conspiracy theories about Ukraine's involvement. The Kremlin is lying despite the severity of the threat as on March 22nd, extremists killed 143 people in the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk in the Moscow Oblast. So is counterterrorism cooperation with Russia possible, taking into account also the brutal war Moscow is waging against Ukraine? And why was Russia attacked by ISIS? I talked to Lucas Webber, a co-founder and editor of Militant Wire. It's a media company that provides analysis of militant activity and armed conflict around the world. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Should the West try to turn China and India against Russia? What is the most visible impact of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on EU-Asia relations? And how close is China to Russia? I discussed those questions with Michael Raiterer. He is a Distinguished Professor at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) of the Brussels School of Governance and served as the EU Ambassador in South Korea. Our interview took place at the CEE-Asia Forum in Bratislava organized by the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) and Slovak Foreign Policy Association (SFPA). Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

This time, I talked to Slovak political scientist ⁠Pavol Baboš⁠ from the Department of Sociology at Comenius University in Bratislava. We discussed the incoming presidential elections in Slovakia and the two clear favorites. The Speaker of the Parliament Peter Pellegrini and the former foreign minister Ivan Korčok. The first round of the elections will take place on April 23rd, and the second round, with the two most successful candidates, on April 6th. Can we say who will win it? And what about the autocratic tendencies of the current Slovak government? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Will Ursula von der Leyen be President of the European Commission again? She has been confirmed as the European People's Party candidate to continue with her current job and it's pretty sure that the EPP will win the European Parliament elections in June.  But... "For me, it's not obvious that she will stay," Policy Analyst from the European Policy Centre Eric Maurice reacts. Why does he say this and what's next for the EPP after the elections? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Toms Rostoks is a Director at the Centre for Security and Strategic Research at the National Defence Academy of Latvia and an Associate Professor at the University of Latvia. We tried to assess what happened in two years of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, to forecast what might be next but we also talked about the scenario that at least some Western troops will 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

Oleksandra Matviichuk is a Ukrainian human rights lawyer and head of the Center for Civil Liberties. Her organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. But, unfortunately, we talked about the war, about the Russian full-scale invasion that has already been ongoing for two years. "This is wishful thinking that Putin will stop. Putin openly talked about his goal in numerous interviews. He said there is no Ukrainian nation, and that we are the same people as Russians, which means through this genocidal policy Ukraine has to be occupied and people in Ukraine have to be reeducated as Russians or killed and that is why we have no other choice. If we stop fighting, there will be no more of us," said Oleksanda to me. 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 can Europe react to Donald Trump's threats to NATO? There is a realistic scenario that the populist Republican can win the US presidential elections in November. What would it mean to NATO when Trump suggested that he would encourage Moscow to attack allies that are, as he said this, not paying bills? I talked to Edward Hunter Christie, a Senior Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak