Talk Eastern Europe

How has Russian society changed since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine? How do ordinary Russians experience the war, and what does their response tell us about the country's future? In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe Deep Dive, Adam Reichardt speaks with historian and author James C. Pearce, who has spent years living in and travelling across Russia, including since 2022. Drawing on his...

Poland faces a deepening constitutional crisis, with renewed protests, political confrontation and growing uncertainty over the future of the Constitutional Tribunal. Is there a way out of the deadlock, or will the dispute continue into next year's parliamentary elections? In this week's Talk Eastern Europe News Roundup, Alexandra Karppi and Adam Reichardt unpack the latest developments in...

How do authoritarian powers spread their influence beyond their borders? And why do some countries resist while others embrace it? In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe , Alexandra Karppi speaks with Sonja Schiffers, author of Authoritarian and Illiberal Influence: Russia and Turkey's Threats to Democracy in Wider Europe , about the mechanisms of foreign authoritarian influence in Georgia and...

Serbia is entering a new political era following AleksandarVučić's electoral defeat, but what comes next for the country after 14 years of his rule? While Serbia celebrates a historic turning point, Georgia is moving in the opposite direction, with the ruling Georgian Dream party pushing ahead with plans to ban major opposition parties. In this week's Talk Eastern Europe News Roundup, Adam...

Moldova has resisted Russian interference and maintained itsEuropean course. But can it secure its future in the EU before geopolitical pressures and domestic challenges threaten its progress? In this episode second part of Talk Eastern Europe’s focuson Moldova, Alexandra Karppi speaks with Anastasia Pociumban, Research Fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), about Moldova's...

Serbia has entered a new political era. In a stunning electoral upset, the student-led movement has defeated Aleksandar Vučić’s ruling party, bringing an end to 14 years of political dominance. Support this podcast become a TEE Patron – https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope With nearly 53% of the vote and turnout approaching 70%, the Student List has secured a decisive parliamentary majority....

Just days before a crucial election in Serbia, reports emerge of spyware targeting activists and prominent public figures. Meanwhile, Albania's anti-government protests are turning increasingly violent, putting Prime Minister Edi Rama under growing pressure. In this week's Talk Eastern Europe News Roundup, Alexandra Karppi and Adam Reichardt examine two unfolding political crises in the Ba...

The Trump administration's decision to ease restrictions onRussian diesel has raised serious questions about US sanctions policy and its consequences for Ukraine. While Washington argues that importing Russian fuel could help American consumers struggling with rising energy prices, critics warn that the move risks providing Moscow with additional revenue and political legitimacy as Russia cont...

Support independent analysis of Central and Eastern Europe by joining our Patreon community. Help us reach our goal of 85 patrons! Join us: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope Washington is changing course on Russia once again. A controversial new deal between Donald Trump and VladimirPutin to ease sanctions on Russian diesel is raising serious questions about US support for Kyiv, just as Uk...

In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Alexandra Karppi speaks with Kurt Bassuener, co-founder of the Democratization Policy Council (DPC), about the changing geopolitical landscape in the Western Balkans and the growing challenges facing democratic movements across the region. Starting with Bosnia and Herzegovina's elections, the conversation explores the Trump administration's increasin...

Support Talk Eastern Europe and join our Patreon community: https://patreon.com/talkeasterneurope   Election season is reshaping the political landscape across Central and Eastern Europe — while signs of political tensionare emerging inside Russia itself. In this week’s Talk Eastern Europe News Roundup, Alexandra Karppi and Adam Reichardt look at the latest election results in Latvia and Bosnia an...

Moldova is racing towards European Union membership, but can it meet its ambitious 2030 goal, and will the EU be ready to welcome it? In this episode of the Talk Eastern Europe Deep Dive, Adam Reichardt speaks with David Smith, Moldova expert and author of the Moldova Matters Substack, about the country’s rapidly changing political and security landscape. They discuss the state of Moldova’s pro-Eu...

Russia’s war against Ukraine is increasingly being felt beyond Ukraine’s borders. In this week’s Talk Eastern Europe News Roundup, Adam Reichardt and Alexandra Karppi discuss the intensifying Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, including the growing use of faster jet-powered drones and mounting pressure on Ukraine’s air defences. They also look at the wider security consequences...

Russia’s provocations against NATO countries are becomingincreasingly difficult to dismiss as isolated incidents. How far is Moscow prepared to go — and how should Poland and its allies respond? In this Deep Dive, Adam Reichardt speaks with Jakub Bornio,security analyst and scholar at the University of Wrocław, the Institute of Central Europe and the Jamestown Foundation, about the deteriorating s...

What comes next after Russia's parliamentary “election”? And how is NATO's eastern flank preparing for the possibility of a wider security crisis? In this week's Talk Eastern Europe news roundup, Adam Reichardt and Alexandra Karppi discuss Russia's parliamentary election results, speculation about a possible new wave of military mobilisation, and the implications for the war in Ukr...

China’s role in the Western Balkans is changing. Once associated primarily with infrastructure projects, loans and the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing is increasingly turning towards AI, digital technologies, telecommunications and deeper political partnerships with Serbia at the centre of its regional presence. In this Deep Dive, Alexandra Karppi speaks with Stefan Vladisavljev, Programme Direc...

A major verdict has been handed down in The Hague: formerKosovo president Hashim Thaçi has been found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Adam and Alexandra discuss what the ruling could mean for Kosovo, its politics and the wider debate over transitional justice in the Western Balkans. We also look at a new wave of repression against independent voices in Azerbaijan, devasta...

Kosovo is facing a critical moment. As the verdict approaches in the war crimes trial of former president Hashim Thaçi and other senior Kosovo Liberation Army figures, questions over justice, accountability and the legacy of the Kosovo war have returned to the centre of public debate. In this Deep Dive, Alexandra Karppi speaks with Arber Ahmeti, doctoral candidate at the University of Vienna speci...

Donald Trump’s latest attempt to revive negotiations over Russia’s war against Ukraine has produced plenty of meetings but little sign of a breakthrough. Adam and Alexandra discuss Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff’s latest diplomacy with Moscow and Kyiv, Vladimir Putin’s demands, and why the fundamental obstacles to any peace deal remain unchanged. Meanwhile, Russia’s intensifying drone campaign is...

Award-winning journalist and author Luke Harding joins Talk Eastern Europe to discuss his new book, Betrayal: Trump, Putin, and the New Age of Conquest and what it tells us about Russia’s war against Ukraine, Donald Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin, and the erosion of the post-war international order. Speaking with Adam Reichardt, Harding reflects on the manyforms of “betrayal” at the hear...

Russia’s war against Ukraine intensified over the summer, with increasingly sustained drone and missile attacks raising new questions about what comes next and whether Moscow’s confrontation with the West could extend beyond Ukraine. In this week’s Talk Eastern Europe News Roundup, Alexandra Karppi and Adam Reichardt discuss the latest wave of Russian attacks on Ukraine, CIA Director John Ratcliff...

We are back after our August break! In this episode of the Talk Eastern Europe Deep Dive, Alexandra Karppi speaks with James Ker-Lindsay, professor and specialist on conflict, security and diplomacy, with particular expertise on the Western Balkans. They discuss the increasingly complicated geopolitical landscape across the Balkans and wider Eastern Europe. The conversation covers the stalled poli...

Russia’s war against Ukraine is being fought not only on thebattlefield, but also in the information space. In this Talk Eastern Europe deep dive, Adam Reichardt speaks with Ukrainian media professional, researcher and YouTube creator Anna Danylchuk, better known as Anna from Ukraine . Since March 2022, Anna has provided daily English-language updates explaining how the Russian invasion affects or...

In this week’s news roundup, Talk Eastern Europe co-hosts Adam Reichardt and Aleksandra Karppi provide the latest developments in the region. Firstly, Ukraine has replaced its commander-in-chief in oneof the biggest wartime leadership changes since Russia's full scale invasion, sparking debate about military reform, democracy during wartime, and the future of Ukraine's defence strategy. Me...

With Andrej Babiš back in power, Czechia’s civil society is warning the country may follow Hungary and Slovakia down an authoritarian path. In this Talk Eastern Europe Deep Dive, Nina Pániková speaks with Mikuláš Minář, founder and chairman of Million Moments for Democracy, at the UNLOCK Summit in Prague. Minář recounts how a single moment before the 2017 Czech election transformed him from a phil...