How can Ukraine plan its counteroffensive? Would the F-16 jets help Kyiv? And what can Russia do to counter the impending attack? I talked to Johan Norberg, a Senior Military Analyst from the Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI). Why does he think that the West will decide the 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

She hates him because of his politics! It's all about money and fame! Is this why E. Jean Carroll sued Donald Trump? Not at all, a friend of Carroll Jennifer Taub explains. She is a Law Professor at Western New England University School of Law, author of the Substack newsletter Money & Gossip, and host of the podcast Booked Up with Jen Taub. In our debate, she dissected the verdict of the civil trial E. Jean Carroll v. Donald Trump and we also discussed why she thinks that the Republican Party is the anti-women party. Read also her book Big Dirty Money: Making White Collar Criminals Pay and listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin is naming and shaming everybody. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is offering his services but it's not clear if he really has something to offer. And the Russian President Vladimir Putin is... Is doing exactly what? About Prigozhin, Kadyrov, and Putin, I talked to political analyst Anton Barbashin who is an editorial director of Riddle, which is a website about Russia I can only recommend. So is Putin in control? What may happen to Prigozhin and Kadyrov if the Russian President falls? And how much are the people of Putin's regime nervous about the impending Ukrainian offensive. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠⁠

As Wikipedia says, Charles III, born Charles Philip Arthur George on November 14th, 1948 is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Last year, at the age of 73, he became the oldest person to accede to the British throne, also after having been the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales in British history. King Charles' coronation will take place on May 6th and he has really big shoes to fill. According to the YouGov poll from May 2022, so a few months before her death, Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has been admired by the British public. At that time 57 % of respondents claimed that she has done a very good job during her time on the throne and another 24% say she has done a fairly good job. But there are also other challenges King Charles faces. As the newspaper Guardian pointed out, on the eve of his coronation, a survey shows only three in 10 Britons think the monarchy is very important. The poll by the National Centre for Social Research shows public support for the monarchy has fallen to a historic low. A total of 45% of respondents said either it should be abolished, was not at all important, or not very important. So wearing the Supertunica for the coronation which weighs about 2kg and is made of cloth of gold-silk thread wrapped in thin pieces of gold or silver gilt metal won't be the biggest burden of King Charles III's reign. Dr. Tessa Dunlop is a British historian, writer, and broadcaster. Her latest book is titled Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy. So it was no brainer to ask her to talk about the upcoming coronation of King Charles III. Why does she think that he will be a caretaker monarch? What to expect from the next royal generation represented by Prince Willian and Princess Kate? And how does she assess the story of Harry and Meghan? Read Dr. Dunlop's book and listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠⁠

French President Emmanuel Macron was elected for his second term one year ago, on April 24th, 2021. How strong or weak is he now? I talked to Georgina Wright, a Senior Fellow, and Director of Institut Montaigne's Europe Program. We discuss recent Macron's visit to China and its aftermath but also French domestic politics. Is Macron naive? And is there a danger that he is paving the way for a radical successor? 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 National Hockey League has a war crimes problem. Because of this piece, in the Globe and Mail, I contacted Mark Kersten. He is a Senior Consultant of the Wayamo Foundation and an Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of the Fraser Valley in British Columbia. So what's wrong with the NHL and with its superstar Russian player Alexander Ovechkin who is also known as a big fan of President Vladimir Putin? The Russian invasion of Ukraine uncovered some ugly truths that, as Mark argues, we should at least start to debate about. Should the NHL suspend Ovechkin for his continued support of Putin? How should the hockey fans react? And should the Russian athletes attend the Olympic Games? I talked to Mark about these topics but also about if the International Criminal Court is building a solid case against Putin. 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 Good Friday Agreement that ended the conflict in Northern Ireland turned 25 on April 10th. What were the main factors that contributed to its success? I talked to Shaun Mcdaid, a Senior Lecturer in Politics from the Department of Behavioural and Social Sciences at Huddersfield University. We discussed the history of the Troubles, terrorists from the Irish Republican Army, and their international connections including the Soviet one, but also what's next for Northern Ireland amid Brexit. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ 

From April 4th, Finland is officially the thirty-first member of NATO. What does it mean for the country, for the Alliance, and for Russia? What are the pros and possible cons of Finland's membership? And why is Sweden still out? I talked to Charly Salonius-Pasternak, a leading researcher in The Center on US Politics and Power at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. I also asked him what he thinks about the idea that Finnish PM Sanna Marin can become the next Secretary General of NATO. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ ⁠

Kacper Rerawek⁠ is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Research on Extremism (C-REX) at the University of Oslo. His book ⁠Brown-Red Cocktail? Extremist Foreign Fighters in the War in Ukraine was published last year and for The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) he just released a report A Year of Foreign Fighting for Ukraine: Catching Fish With Bare Hands? So who are they and how do foreign fighters contribute to the fight with Russia? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ ⁠

Fred Wellman served in the Army for 22 years as an aviator and public affairs officer and he left the Armed Forces as a Lieutenant Colonel. He was a Blackhawk helicopter pilot, and completed tours during Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom. So, in his own words, he invaded Iraq twice. He also was a spokesman for General David Petraeus, and General Martin Dempsey. I have asked Fred for an interview as March 20 marked the 20th anniversary of the Iraq war. Fred is working on a book about his service in Iraq, and the impact of the war on him and the others in his life. He said to me that he could call his memoir: They all died. But he can also sleep at night at ease. We discussed his service, the damage the war caused, if somebody, e. g. ex-President George Bush, should be tried for the invasion, and many other topics. Listen to our conversation. And check also my previous episode about the Iraq war as I talked to Robert E. Kelley⁠ who had been an International Atomic Energy Agency (⁠IAEA⁠) inspector in Iraq in 1992–93 and he was there also in the final months before the 2003 invasion. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ ⁠