The Global Agora

How to negotiate with the Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, and does he feel empowered by his American counterpart, Donald Trump? „One very big misperception of the world and the US, especially President Trump, about the Russians is that they are very powerful. And this is very wrong,“ Leonid Litra told me. He is a Senior Research Fellow at the New Europe Center in Kyiv and a Visiting Fellow at the Eu...

Gabrielius Landsbergi s served as Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from December 2020 until November 2024. Interestingly, 20 years ago, I also interviewed his grandfather, Vytautas Landsbergis. But we live in a very different world now – one in which the Baltic countries, including Lithuania, have closed their airspace to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who felt compelled to visit Russia...

What should we expect from the new German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, in terms of foreign, security, and defense policy? Is he prepared to face US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin? Would Germany defend its allies in the event of a Russian attack, especially in a scenario where US support is uncertain? I discussed these questions – and more – with defense analyst Rafael Loss...

Is this the novel of our times? In fact, You Must Take Part in Revolution is a graphic novel, one for a new generation that likely prefers more images and fewer words, and it explores a near-future dystopia shaped by a US–China war, in which America has become a proto-fascist state. Timely, isn’t it? You Must Take Part in Revolution comes from Emmy-nominated journalist Melissa Chan and acclaimed d...

John Deni is a Research Professor of Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational (JIIM) Security Studies at the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute. He just wrote an article for Foreign Policy titled: A Drawdown of U.S. Forces in Europe Is All but Certain. As this is a very hot topic, I wanted to know more about it. So why does John think a drawdown is basically ce...

How much does Denmark feel squeezed between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, as the Russian ruler wages a war in Europe, and the US President says he wants to take over Greenland? What does this mean for Denmark's threat perceptions? These were some of the questions I asked Anders Puck Nielsen , a military analyst and researcher at the Royal Danish Defence College. You can find more informatio...

Aaron Mehta is the editor-in-chief of Breaking Defense , but above all, he's a dear friend. We met almost a decade ago on NATO's eastern flank, in Poland. The result? I introduced Aaron and a bunch of other colleagues to the "mad dog" drink. If you don't know what it is, google it and give it a try! But this is not just a free ad for a drink and friendship. I used Aaron's expertise and experience...

American President Donald Trump has just announced that the US is imposing tariffs on everyone, including the islands inhabited by penguins. Russia is the only major economy excluded. Why? And can trade wars escalate into real wars? I discussed these topics and more with David McCuan , a Political Science Professor at Sonoma State. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please sup...

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 secur...

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 the...

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 Europ...

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 Ins...

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 A...

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...

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 negotia...

The elections in Germany will be held on February 23rd, and the Christian Democrats alliance of CDU/CSU, led by Friedrich Merz, is currently leading the polls. Everything suggests that Merz will be the next Chancellor. But with whom will he form a coalition? Can CDU/CSU cooperate with the extremist Alternative for Germany (Alternative für Deutschland - AfD)? Alexander Clarkson , a lecturer in Germ...

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...

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...

The hardest but also most inspiring year. Heading into the new year with hope. This is what Maria Avdeeva , a Ukrainian security expert, wrote on Bluesky just before the New Year.  Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she has been covering what's happening in her country. And she also has time to talk to me, so this is another round of our conversation. This time, we discussed what...

How much is Poland currently spending on defense? Can Warsaw afford it? Is Poland considering reinstating mandatory military service? And what is Poland’s primary defense objective amid Russia's war against Ukraine? About this and much more, I talked to Marek Świerczyński , head of the security and international affairs desk in  Polityka Insight . Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what...

What might be the main and most important political trends that will shape the year 2025? This was my first question for Professor Erik Jones , Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute. Erik joined my podcast to discuss predictions for the upcoming year, as well as to reflect on what happened in 2024. We covered topics such as elections around...

This is not my first podcast about James Bond. When  No Time to Die  hit theaters in 2021, I had a two-part conversation with Martin D. Brown , bondologist, Professor of International History at Richmond American University in London, and co-author of the book  The Bondian Cold War : The Transnational Legacy of a Cultural Icon. Martin is back on my podcast, so we are once again discussing everythi...

Could Slovak politics have been " TikTok-ed " in a similar way to Romania, where the far-right candidate Calin Georgescu won the first round of the presidential election? Is Slovak PM Robert Fico pro-Russian? And why is his government relatively fragile only one year into its rule? My podcast guests usually discuss global events, but if you're interested in learning more about my country, Slovakia...

Jennifer Mercieca is a Professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at Texas A&M University and the author of the book Demagogue for President : The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump. So we talked about Trump.  Is he an existential threat to American democracy? Is he truly willing to use the Justice Department, the FBI, and other state institutions to target his opponents? Will...

Does Russia want far-right Calin Georgescu to become president of Romania? "My guess is Russia is satisfied even with the current level of disarray in Romania," Oana Popescu-Zamfir told me. She is the director of the GlobalFocus Center and we discussed the current political situation in her country between the parliamentary elections and the second round of the presidential race. Our debate took p...