The Global Agora

Vanda Felbab-Brown is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, and we discuss how the fentanyl crisis has become the most lethal drug epidemic in United States history. She examines the factors contributing to it, including the high potency of synthetic opioids and the role of criminal organizations in their distribution. Vanda also offers her insights into a recent decline in fentanyl-related deaths in the US and shares her concerns about the potential for a similar crisis to take hold elsewhere. So, does she see any signs that Europe could face a fentanyl epidemic similar to that in North America? Listen to our conversations. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

When President Donald Trump says jump, every Republican asks: How high? But is he weaker than he appears? Trump plays the hegemon, and many are afraid of him, from his party to the media, law firms, and universities. But at one moment, he will be a lame duck, and he is old. I discussed the current state of the GOP and the Democratic Party with Steven Greene, a Professor of Political Science at North Carolina State 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 there a real risk of coordinated aggression by China and Russia that could lead to simultaneous attacks on Taiwan and NATO countries? Both the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte have mentioned this scenario. So, should we be seriously worried about something that could resemble a global war? I spoke with Mick Ryan, a military strategist and retired Australian Army Major General, to find out. 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 everything a distraction from the Epstein files? But when Donald Trump accuses Barack Obama of treason, what's next? Can the current US President try to arrest and prosecute his predecessor? And how would America and its institutions react to it? "At this point, we can't rule anything out," Professor of Public Policy at the University of Michigan Donald Moynihan told 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

The Norwegian newspaper The Barents Observer is taking the Russian General Prosecutor’s Office to court for declaring the media outlet a so-called undesirable organization. "I think that the Russian authorities are very, very afraid of independent media. We publish in Russian, so we do have an audience inside the country," said Barents Observer publisher Atle Staalesen to me. I met him in 2014 when I visited Kirkenes, the Norwegian town on the border with Russia. We talked about how The Barents Observer stands up to pressure from Russian officials – and also about how concerned Norway is about a potential Russian attack. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Phillips P. O'Brien is the Head of the School of International Relations and Professor of Strategic Studies at the University of St Andrews. Does he think that what we're seeing from the Trump administration could amount to a kind of deliberate strategy – to restrict funding and weapons for Ukraine, in the belief that Kyiv will interpret this as a signal that it must eventually capitulate? How effective is Donald Trump in helping Vladimir Putin? And why is Professor O'Brien also highly critical of European leaders? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Vladimir Putin recently announced that Russia plans to cut military spending starting next year. This statement came after the Minister of Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, warned that the country’s economy is teetering on the brink of recession. Yet Putin also declared: Wherever a Russian soldier sets foot, that’s ours. So, regardless of his words about the economy, is he preparing for a forever war? And can his regime survive without war? I discussed this – and much more – with Volodymyr Dubovyk, an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations at Odesa I. Mechnikov National 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

Cas Mudde is a Dutch political scientist – or, as he prefers to call himself, a politicologist – one of the foremost scholars on the far right in Western democracies and a professor at the University of Georgia. After a few phone discussions, I finally met him in person at the GLOBSEC conference in Prague. We talked about Donald Trump's America, why he is optimistic about US democracy, though not really that optimistic, and also about what, if anything, politicians like Viktor Orbán, Robert Fico, Jarosław Kaczyński, and Andrej Babiš can actually change. 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 NATO summit takes place on June 24-25 in The Hague. How should the North Atlantic Treaty Organization deal with American President Donald Trump? Can NATO work in a mode of pleasing and not provoking him? How should the Alliance spend 5 percent of GDP on defense? And what to do with Russia? At the GLOBSEC conference in Prague, I spoke with ⁠Ben Hodges⁠, a former commanding general, United States Army Europe. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Can Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party lose next year’s election? What might he do to prevent that? How nervous is Orbán about Péter Magyar's Tisza Party, which is currently leading in the polls? And with the potential win of Andrej Babiš in the Czech elections and with recent Karol Nawrocki's victory in Poland's presidential race, could we be witnessing a more illiberal V4? I discussed all this and more with Zsuzsanna Végh, an analyst at the German Marshall Fund. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak