The Global Agora

Michal Onderčo is a Full Professor of International Relations in the Department of Public Administration and Sociology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, and his most recent book is titled Europe's Nuclear Umbrella. The current global instability, ongoing wars, and the collapse of key arms control treaties provide a perfect – albeit grim – setup for our debate. We discussed who holds Europe's nuclear umbrella and what Europe can do about it, French nuclear plans, Russian nuclear threats, and we also fact-checked nuclear claims made by US President Donald Trump. And if you listen to my podcast The Global Agora regularly, you know that I’m not shy about asking apocalyptic questions. So – could the Iran war go nuclear? 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 Operation Epic Fury a punitive campaign – or a regime change war? Why is it even called Epic Fury? Could Iran become Donald Trump’s Iraq or Afghanistan? And what advice would national security expert Jonathan Schroden give the President to avoid such a scenario? My guest is the Chief Research Officer within the Office of the President at the CNA Corporation, with over 20 years of experience in policy, strategy, and operations research and analysis. Jonathan's forthcoming book is titled US Counterterrorism Operations in Afghanistan: Jackpots, Dry Holes, and Collateral Damage. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

In this episode of The Global Agora, I speak with Monika Sus, a professor at the Institute of Political Studies at Polish Academy of Sciences and expert on European security and EU foreign policy. Together, we explore whether Europe is already at war with Russia, and why the distinction between “war” and “hybrid warfare” may no longer hold. We discuss Poland’s view of Russia as an existential threat, divisions within the European Union, the uncertain future of NATO, and whether Europe must begin seriously preparing for a security architecture that can function without the United States. And ultimately, we confront the most unsettling question of all: in today’s climate of strategic uncertainty, can Europe still rely on its closest ally? So, would American President Donald Trump fight for Gdansk? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

In this episode of The Global Agora, I speak once again with retired Australian Major General Mick Ryan. We have been having these conversations for over three years now. This time, we discuss Ukraine’s evolving strategy of cumulative attrition – targeting not only Russian troops, and Ukraine wants to destroy 50,000 Russians per month, but also oil revenues and political pressure points. We examine whether Kyiv has the means to sustain this approach, the mistakes made by all sides during four years of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and why – despite drones and AI transforming the battlefield – 90 percent of warfare remains an old story of leadership, training, mass, logistics, and political will. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

When I spoke with Minna Ålander in March last year, I asked her how far she thought American President Donald Trump could go in his hostility toward the European Union, on a scale from zero to ten, where ten represented the worst-case scenario. She said it would be around 8.5. Less than a year later, I asked her the same question again. “It’s probably 11,” she replied. Minna Ålander is an analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS), a non-resident fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), and an associate fellow at Chatham House. We discuss whether it is time to bury the post–Cold War world order, and what that would mean for smaller countries such as Slovakia or Finland. 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 new UK Ambassador to Slovakia, Bilal Zahid, has Pakistani roots, has lived in Northern Ireland, and studied in Scotland. He explains why he chose a diplomatic career and why he focuses on the Central and Eastern European region. Most recently, he served as Minister-Counsellor at the UK Embassy in Kyiv, where he was also responsible for the embassy’s security and safety. How does he assess the situation in Ukraine, and what does he hope to achieve in Slovakia? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Does US President Donald Trump have an endgame in Venezuela? Which Latin American leader should be most concerned about the Donroe Doctrine, and what could it mean in concrete terms for US foreign and security policy? And should Greenland and Canada really be worried as well? “I think Trump is trying to establish a sphere of influence in which the United States can do what it wants in the Western Hemisphere,” says Renata Keller, a history professor at the University of Nevada. She is an expert on modern Latin America, the Cold War, and the War on Drugs, and she recently published a book, The Fate of the Americas: The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Hemispheric Cold 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

Tom Nichols considers Donald Trump's obsession with Greenland very dangerous. "I think that's his most dangerous fixation because if this turns violent or confrontational, it could blow up NATO. I think Putin and others will say it's time to start taking advantage," Tom told me when we spoke about the first year of Trump’s second presidency. He is a staff writer at The Atlantic and a contributor to The Atlantic Daily newsletter. He is also a Professor Emeritus of national security affairs at the US Naval War College. His books include The Death of Expertise and Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from Within on Modern Democracy. Tom thinks that Trump is an even bigger threat than we thought, but he is also optimistic. Why? 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 was the most complicated aspect of preparing for the American intervention in Venezuela? What does the selection process for such a special operation look like? Will American President Donald Trump repeat it elsewhere – for example, in Greenland? And if so, should Europeans start practicing his kidnapping? Military analyst Patrick Bury answered these questions and more. He served as an air assault infantry Captain in Afghanistan, an experience he detailed in his book Callsign Hades. He is currently a Senior Associate Professor in Security at the University of Bath, specialising in warfare and counterterrorism. 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 do the Venezuela operation and the January 6 attack on the Capitol, which happened five years ago, tell us about President Donald Trump? "The anniversary of January 6th and the insurrection and uprising that occurred that goes on when Congress comes back into session with the background of what just happened in Venezuela, I think completely captures the reckless endangerment of others by this president and how he acts," said David McCuan, a Political Science Professor at Sonoma State University. Does he think that the Venezuela raid will define Trump’s foreign policy legacy – and America’s and its allies’ place in 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