REPCO

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Adam and Agnieszka start out with a discussion on the state of Russian influence in the region with a focus on Georgia and Moldova. Later, Agnieszka provides a brief rundown of the recent Estonian elections. For the main interview, Adam is joined by Grigol Julukhidze - the director of the Foreign Policy Council, a think tank in Tbilisi. He specialises in security studies and propaganda research and is also a lecturer at Ilia State University. Adam and Grigol dissect the recent events surrounding the introduction (and later withdrawal) of the so-called foreign agent law in Georgia and what the consequences are for the country. During the special bonus section available for patrons, Grigol discussion the current state of Mikheil Saakashvili as well as how Georgia has changed with the influx of Russians escaping mobilisation. Listen to the full episode by signing up here: https://bit.ly/3Fox3Iy For further reading "The European Dream: Georgia’s growing anti-European rhetoric undermines its pro-western aspirations" by Giorgi Beroshvili, New Eastern Europe, 10 March 2023: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/03/10/the-european-dream-georgias-growing-anti-european-rhetoric-undermines-its-pro-western-aspirations/ “Russian soft power in Georgia: “People’s Power” and the “foreign agent” media law” by Davit Totadze, New Eastern Europe 3 March 2023: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/03/03/russian-soft-power-in-georgia-peoples-power-and-the-foreign-agent-media-law/

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode Adam and Aga start by discussing the latest updates from Bakhmut and the ongoing blockade of the Lachin corridor in the contested Nagorno-Karabakh region. We then tackle Russia's most infamous private military company and its powerful and ambitious chief Yegveny Prigozhin. Helping us understand the way in which the Wagner Group operates and manages to get away with its many crimes and human rights violations is Catrina Doxsee - an associate director and associate fellow for the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). In the bonus section of the interview for our patrons, Catrina discusses Wagner's adventurism in African countries, something less covered in international media. Join our patreon page and listen to the full interview here: https://bit.ly/3JlRfNP You can find Catrina's research and recent publications on: https://www.csis.org/programs/transnational-threats-project https://www.ispionline.it/en/publication/wagner-cornerstone-russias-strategy-africa-37141 https://www.csis.org/analysis/massacres-executions-and-falsified-graves-wagner-groups-mounting-humanitarian-cost-mali https://www.csis.org/analysis/tracking-arrival-russias-wagner-group-mali https://www.csis.org/analysis/russias-corporate-soldiers-global-expansion-russias-private-military-companies Check out the latest from New Eastern Europe: www.neweasterneurope.eu

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode we look at the current situation in the small but important country of Moldova. Since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, which began last year, Moldova has often been thought of a country at greater risk of destabilization and conflict. Recent intelligence indicates Russia is seeking ways to disrupt Moldova’s pro-European path and may be funding hybrid-style attacks in the country. Joining us on the podcast is Anda Bologa is a Fulbright scholar and a PhD candidate at Fordham University. She is an affiliated expert with the Romanian think tank Europuls and a fellow at the Washington-based Centre for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). Anda’s research topics are transatlantic affairs, digital policy, and EU neighborhood policy. Anda discusses the pressure faced by Moldova and what it will take for the country to overcome possible hybrid attacks. Read more in the latest issue of New Eastern Europe: https://bit.ly/3I3K4I4 “War at the border, protests at home: pressure mounts on Moldova”, by: Will Fleeson, New Eastern Europe, Issue 1-2/2023, https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/02/15/moldova-ukraine-russia-sandu-shor/ * “Moldova is being forced to adapt to hybrid warfare”, by: Marina Bzovîi, New Eastern Europe, Issue 1-2/2023: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/02/15/moldova-hybrid-warfare-russia-ukraine-hacking/ Follow us on Twitter: @areichardt, @AWidlaszewska

>>> Become a patron of Talk Eastern Europe for even more content: http://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this special episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Adam and Agnieszka sit down with Maria Avdeeva, a Kharkiv-based expert who has since February 24th 2022 been reporting on the ground regarding the situation in her hometown and throughout Ukraine. Maria provides some personal reflections and stories from the last 12 months and later describes what she thinks could happen next in Russia’s war against Ukraine. Follow Maria on Twitter: https://twitter.com/maria_avdv Further reading: Winning a war is not enough for Ukraine. Interview with Maksym Kyiak, the cheif expert of the ANTS NGO and a territorial defence volunteer: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2023/02/23/winning-a-war-is-not-enough-for-ukraine/ --> Check out the new issue of New Eastern Europe now available here: https://bit.ly/3I3K4I4

>>> Become a patron of Talk Eastern Europe for even more content: http://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode we focus on Czechia and its recent presidential election, which saw a clash of two very different visions of the country's future. We discuss the role of President in Czechia, the legacy of the outgoing President, Miloš Zeman, the profile and policy ideas of the newly elected Petr Pavel and the biggest points of contention between him and his main rival in the election, former Czech PM Andrej Babiš. Our guest is Pavel Havlíček, a Research Fellow at the Association for International Affairs (AMO) and a Central European Fellow for Security Policy at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. Additional materials: https://www.gmfus.org/news/test-democratic-maturity https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/new-czech-president-pavel-to-end-international-isolation/ Listen to our previous episode with Pavel: https://talkeasterneurope.eu/episodes/episode-106-czechias-eu-presidency-priorities-and-challenges-083 You can follow Pavel and his work on Twitter (@Pavel_Havlicek_), Facebook (Pavel Paulie Havlíček) and LinkedIn (Pavel Havlicek).

>>> Become a patron of Talk Eastern Europe for even more content: http://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this week's episode Aga sits down with not one but two guests to discuss the Swedish presidency of the Council of the EU, the future of the Eastern Partnership, and the role civil society has played and can play in the relations between the EU and the EaP, as well as within the EaP itself. This episode is co-produced with ForumCiv, a Swedish development cooperation organisation uniting around 200 Swedish CSOs and supporting civil society in over 70 countries all over the world. Our guests are Ognjen Radonjic, Hub Manager for Eastern Europe at ForumCiv, and Hugo von Essen, an analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies. You can learn more about ForumCiv at https://www.forumciv.org/int. You can find Hugo's and SCEEUS' research at https://sceeus.se/en/. As we mention in the outro of this episode, we love to hear from you! You can contact us via: 1. Our website https://talkeasterneurope.eu/ 2. Our Facebook group "Talk Eastern Europe Podcast" or 3. Twitter @AWidlaszewska and @areichardt.

>>> Become a patron of Talk Eastern Europe for even more content: http://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode, Adam and Agnieszka start by discussing latest updates in the region, including the election of Petr Pavel as the new Czech president, an interesting piece on how Poland is repairing Ukraine’s military equipment, and the announcement that Germany will allow for the export of Leopard main battle tanks to Ukraine. They are then joined by Marcel Krueger, a German-born writer and essayist. He discusses his view of the German discourse, his family history as well as how this all impacts Polish-German relations. Read Marcel’s essay published in New Eastern Europe from last July: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2022/07/08/ignorance-of-history-germanys-culture-of-memory-and-response-to-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine/ Visit Marcel online: http://marcel-krueger.squarespace.com/ Read the special WSJ report on Poland’s 24/7 repair shop for Ukraine: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-covert-polish-repair-shop-patching-up-ukrainian-arms-11674920742 Check us out online: www.talkeasterneurope.eu

*** Become a patron of Talk Eastern Europe and get additional content: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope *** Talk Eastern Europe is back with its first episode of 2023! The episode opens with Adam and Agnieszka catching up with the news (and not only!) from the last weeks and a quick reaction to the Ramstein meeting on January 20th. The rest of the episode is dedicated to looking at the country of Slovakia, which recently celebrated 30 years of statehood following the peaceful breakup of Czechoslovakia. Adam sits down with Michaela Terenzani, editor in chief of the Slovak Spectator, to discuss the legacy of this break-up; the developments throughout the last 30 years; and finally to discuss the tumultuous political situation currently taking place. Check out the latest issue of New Eastern Europe now available online here: https://bit.ly/3FLKp2g

*** Please support us to keep bringing you in-depth coverage. Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope In the last episode of 2022, the three co-hosts reunite to wrap up the year. It was a year dominated by Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Besides the war, it was a year full of important developments in many countries of the region. In the main part of the episode, Maciek sits down with Anna Żamejć, an independent journalist and analyst focusing on the Southern Caucasus. They discuss recent developments in Azerbaijan and how the war in Ukraine paradoxically brings new opportunities for the country and what are the long-term internal challenges for Baku. Thank you for listening to the podcast in 2022! /// Check out the latest issue of New Eastern Europe now available online here: https://bit.ly/3FLKp2g Want to keep up to date on Talk Eastern Europe’s latest episodes – sign up for notifications via the website at: https://talkeasterneurope.eu/subscribe

*** Please support us to keep bringing you in-depth coverage. Become a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope This week, Talk Eastern Europe heads back to the Western Balkans. Maciek and Adam discuss the most recent EU-Western Balkan Summit which was held in Tirana, Albania on December 6th. Later, Adam is joined by Leon Hartwell, a senior advisor for the Central and South Eastern European Programme (CSEEP) at LSE IDEAS and a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). They discuss the context to current rising tensions between Serbia and Kosovo; what are the barriers to finding a solution; and which actors are involved in trying to resolve (or not) the conflict. During the bonus round section – available for our Patrons only – Leon discusses the role of the Russian war in Ukraine in the Western Balkan region and why Serbia is so pro-Russian. /// Check out the latest issue of New Eastern Europe now available online here: https://bit.ly/3FLKp2g Want to keep up to date on Talk Eastern Europe’s latest episodes – sign up for notifications via the website at: https://talkeasterneurope.eu/subscribe