The Global Agora

Seva Gunitsky is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. Yes, I asked him how worried he is that Donald Trump's America might militarily attack Canada. According to him, it's very unlikely, but... "I teach introduction to international politics, and when I talk about countries' war plans, I used to use the Canada-American relationship as an example of a true security community, where there are no war plans against each other. I cannot use that example anymore, that's for sure," he explained to me. And do you want to know if he sees similarities between Trump and the Russian ruler, Vladimir 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

Victoria Vdovychenko is the joint program leader of the Future for Ukraine Project at the Center for Geopolitics, University of Cambridge, and holds a PhD in Foreign Policy and World History. I first met her in Bratislava in 2022, just a few months after Russia's large-scale invasion, and it's great to have her on my podcast. Victoria has a stark warning for Europe: “You will suffer if there is no long-lasting and just peace in Ukraine,” she told me. However, she also emphasizes that Ukrainians don't have the luxury of dwelling in negativity—they are engaged in an existential fight. Do you want to know how she answered my question about whether Ukraine and Europe can end up on one side of the war and Vladimir Putin at least partly supported by Trump's administration on the other side? 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 far do you think American President Donald Trump could go in his adversity toward the European Union? Let's say on a scale from zero to ten, where 10 is the worst scenario akin to the EU being at war with the US. "I think probably somewhere like 8,5," Minna Ålander said to me. She is a Non-resident Fellow with the Transatlantic Defense and Security Program at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA) and the Chatham House Associate Fellow. Minna recently wrote an article - Is Trump Making Europe Great Again? - so we discussed her piece in a more detailed way and we also talked about if Europeans can and should lead the free world, however we define it. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

If America had to choose, would it defend Estonia or Taiwan? Can Europe still count on the US to come to its defense? If necessary, does Europe have enough troops available for long-term deployment to Ukraine? What should European Union leaders do to strengthen European security in the short term, at least? I discussed these pressing topics and more with Assistant Professor Jan Kofroň from the Institute of Political Studies at Charles University’s Faculty of Social Sciences. 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 first time I interviewed Tom Nichols was in 2016 in Bratislava, just before the US presidential elections. At that time, he was still a Republican, but he had already rejected Donald Trump. Of course, he no longer identifies with the party. "I never thought I would see the party of Ronald Reagan making excuses for a dictator in the Kremlin," Tom told me. He is a staff writer at The Atlantic and a contributor to the Atlantic Daily newsletter. He is a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the US Naval War College, where he taught for 25 years, and an instructor at the Harvard Extension School. We discussed why the US voted alongside Russia and North Korea against a UNGA resolution that was supported by American allies, Trump's approach to Ukraine negotiations, and the presidential purge of the armed forces. And why does Tom say Vladimir Putin is one shining star in Trump's 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

Ukraine has faced Russian aggression since 2014, and the large-scale invasion began three years ago, on February 24th, 2022. If you listen to my podcast The Global Agora, you know that I regularly discuss the war with Mick Ryan, as we try to assess what is happening on the battlefield as well as in the political realm. He is a military strategist and a retired Australian Army major general. This time, we talk about the most pivotal moments of the war and what Ukrainians and Russians are doing militarily. Do you want to know why my guest thinks Russian leader Vladimir Putin is probably smiling these days, and what Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has that US President Donald Trump will never have? 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 know my question may seem too apocalyptic — or even crazy — but I had to ask: Is the EU's war with the US or Russia more likely? And as strange as it may sound, Nathalie Tocci provided a very interesting answer. So, welcome to my discussion with the Director of the Italian Istituto Affari Internazionali (Institute of International Affairs). We talked about Donald Trump's plan for negotiations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Ukraine, the role of Europeans in all of this, and what America means to the EU these days. An ally, friend, partner, rival? An adversary, even? 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 analysis shows that Russia is escalating its efforts to destabilize European countries. While previous operations mainly focused on disinformation and cyberattacks, recent activities demonstrate a shift towards hybrid warfare, including physical sabotage and political assassinations. Another striking pattern is the shift in Russian operations towards Western Europe. These are the main findings of the report titled Russian sabotage operations in Europe since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Bart Schuurman, a Professor of Terrorism and Political Violence at Leiden University, is the lead author of the study. We discussed not only what is happening, but also how Europe should or could respond to the rising number of Russian sabotage operations. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Donald Trump's era is here. What might he do about Ukraine? Is Russian leader Vladimir Putin happy about him, and what about the US allies? Charly Salonius-Pasterak, a leading researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, has co-authored a report titled Four Lenses for Observing the Second Trump Administration: Reflecting Uncertainty. This presented a great opportunity to discuss what, aside from unpredictability, we might expect from the second Trump administration in terms of foreign policy. Is this the end of the world as we know it? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak