The Eastern Front

On April 25th, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia hosted a special live show of  The Eastern Front  with Giga Bokeria, chairman of European Georgia, the pro-European, pro-Western opposition in Georgia. Together, they discuss the history of Russian incursions into Georgia and the greater security risks Russia poses to Europe. Bokeria makes the case for Georgian and Ukrainian membership into NATO...

On Wednesday night, after months of languishing in the House, President Joe Biden signed into law an aid package authorizing $60.8 billion to Ukraine. On this episode of The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia break down the bill and consider its implications for the future trajectory of the war. What is the significance of the bill making it past far-right opposition in the House? Does th...

With continued uncertainty over the trajectory of the war and aid to Ukraine, European nations have begun to consider the need for a more aggressive deterrence posture. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Artur Kacprzyk, analyst in the International Security Programme at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, to discuss how NATO can ca...

The Baltic states are taking the Russian threat seriously and sounding the alarm for the rest of Europe. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Minna Ålander, research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, to discuss NATO and European security. To what extent has German Chancellor Olaf Scholz acted on the promises made in his...

As NATO celebrates 75 years of defense, Russian threats continue to gnaw at the strength of the alliance. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Andrew Michta, director and senior fellow of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Strategy Initiative, to discuss where NATO goes from here. Who should be the next NATO secretary general? What more can NATO...

With no American security guarantees, European leaders are beginning to look for alternative defense partners. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia roleplay as Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron, and Donald Tusk to discuss both the perils and promises of European security as they each see it. Is it a foregone conclusion that the US will withdraw from Europe? How can F...

With authoritarianism on the rise worldwide, the work of journalists has never been more important for holding rogue regimes accountable. But for that reason, it has also become increasingly dangerous. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Nicola Careem, vice president and editor-in-chief of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, to discuss how journa...

Iran has asserted itself on the global stage through proxies in the Middle East and by supporting Russia in its war in Ukraine. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle and Iulia welcome Andres Ilves, director of the Near East Region at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. How is Iran positioning itself in regards to Armenia and Azerbaijan? To what extent is Iran exerting influen...

For years, Russia has employed disinformation campaigns to influence political outcomes in Western democracies. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Andrea Michalcová, director of the Center for an Informed Society. What impact has Russian disinformation campaigns had in Slovakia and the Czech Republic so far? How have these campaigns both helped an...

A lot has happened since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine just over two years ago. On this episode of The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia reflect on events from the past two years and consider what the future of the conflict might look like. Would a second Trump administration inevitably push the war in Russia's favor? And would a Biden re-election necessarily mean mo...

Just shy of the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, and in the midst of breaking news over Alexei Navalny's assassination, the focus was all on Ukraine during last week's Munich Security Conference. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Jack Janes, resident senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund, to reflect on his experience at the...

In light of Donald Trump's recent statements encouraging Russia to attack NATO allies that have not met their spending minimums, there are growing concerns about Europe's readiness to defend itself. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Jolanta Szymanska and Daniel Szeligowski of the Polish Institute of International Affairs to discuss their new book...

Ukrainians living in Russian occupied territories are facing a myriad of threats, from torture and deportation to the Russification of their communities. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Karolina Hird, the Russia deputy team lead and Evans Hanson fellow at the Institute for the Study of War, to discuss her recent report, "The Kremlin's Occupatio...

Continued support for Ukraine is not just important for Ukrainians; many Eastern European countries are increasingly worried about their own security. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Adrian Băluțel, the chief of staff to the president of the Republic of Moldova, to discuss Moldovan security and the security of the Eastern European region a...

Despite reaching somewhat of a standstill in the war, Ukraine has made considerable advances in the Black Sea. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Stephen Flanagan, adjunct senior fellow at RAND Corporation, to discuss the future of Black Sea strategy and its implications for Ukraine, the EU, and the US. What further military advances can we expect?...

As Putin attempts to erase Ukrainian identity, keeping Ukraine's unique history and culture alive has become ever more important. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Maria Popova and Oxana Shevel, associate professors of political science at McGill University and Tufts University, respectively, to discuss their new book, Russia and Ukraine: Entangled...

There is a growing consensus among segments of the political elite that America's declining global leadership has paved the way for conflicts in Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific. On this episode of The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former NATO chief from 2009-2014, to discuss his recent efforts across Washington to advocate for sustained aid...

With Ron DeSantis suspending his presidential campaign just ahead of the New Hampshire primary, the Republican field is setting out to be a one-man show: Donald Trump. On this episode of The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with David Frum, senior editor at The Atlantic , to discuss the evolution of the Republican party since Trump's first term and what we can expect from a potent...

US support for Ukraine continues to remain uncertain as Congress struggles to reach an agreement on an aid package. On this episode of The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Jan Havránek, deputy chief of mission at the Embassy of the Czech Republic, to discuss the future of American and European support for Ukraine. Is there a growing sense of "Ukraine fatigue" in Europe? Will oth...

Despite battlefield gains in 2022, the last year has brought significant hurdles to Ukraine's fight against Russia. On this episode of The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia reflect on the past year's events and consider what might be in store for the Black Sea region—and the world more broadly—in 2024. They discuss Western will and commitment to Ukraine, the future of Zelenskyy, Russia's...

Despite the European Council's recent decision to open accession negotiations with Ukraine, the country's EU membership is not exactly a foregone conclusion. On this episode of The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Rikard Jozwiak, Europe reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), to discuss the potential obstacles to Ukraine's EU accession process and funding. To what...

This week, European leaders agreed to begin EU membership talks with Ukraine, nearly two years after it was accepted as a candidate state. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Ian Bond, deputy director of the Centre for European Reform, to discuss possible outcomes of accession talks. How might Hungary, who was the only EU member to block a recent aid pa...

In the second installment of The Eastern Front 's two-part series on Armenia's security, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Ambassador Richard Kauzlarich, distinguished visiting professor at George Mason University, to discuss Azerbaijan's perspective on the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. What has accounted for Azerbaijan's aggressive posture towards its neighbors? What other ambitions is...

Nearly three months after Azerbaijan's seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh, serious concerns remain over the plight of tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians in the region. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Dr. Shushanik Minasyan-Ostermann, postdoctoral research associate at the University of Bonn, to discuss the refugee crisis. Can Armenia trust Western natio...

Only half the battle is over once Ukraine wins the war. If Russian President Vladimir Putin is to be prevented from finding yet another victim of his aggression, there must be credible deterrence to maintain a proper balance of power in Europe. On this episode of  The Eastern Front , Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome back retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, NATO senior mentor for Logistics, to dis...