Chain Reaction

Despite Western economic policy, Russia has been able to continue its war against Ukraine, and even seen economic growth. Join as we kick off our season with Nick Trickett and Iikka Korhonen investigating what's driving Russia's economy these days, and whether sanctions are "working." Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

As the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, the optimism that reigned a year ago has largely faded. The failure of Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive and the uncertainty of future US assistance seem to augur tough times ahead for Ukraine and its supporters. Joining host Bob Hamilton to discuss the current state of the war, its likely future trajectory, and the fut...

On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijani forces initiated a massive attack on Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-populated and effectively self-governing region inside internationally recognized Azerbaijani territory. Within 24 hours, the Nagorno-Karabakh leadership gave in, and, for the first time, Baku could claim full control over the contested territory. Despite being portrayed in the West as a “frozen c...

From the "Great Game" of the 19th century to the NATO war in Afghanistan, Central Asia has periodically been at the center of geopolitics. But more often, it has faded into the geopolitical shadows, as other regions and other issues take precedence. The two years since Russia's invasion of Ukraine have seen the region again become a focal point of great power interaction, with Russia's influence f...

Since 2009, Russia has invested significant effort into developing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, for military purposes. However, after a year of war in Ukraine, the Russian military has lost the biggest part of its tactical reconnaissance and targeting UAVs. Pavel Luzin joins Aaron Schwartzbaum to discuss his latest report "Russian Military Drones: The Past, Present, and Future of th...

Almost two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Bear Market Brief investigates how we got here in the first place. What does theory say about Vladimir Putin’s decision making? Seva Gunitsky joins to discuss. Join the Bear Market Brief on Substack! Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

It’s been just over five months since the Wagner Group’s insurrection against the Russian government, and three months since the group’s leader was killed in a place crash, almost certainly orchestrated by the Kremlin. But the Wagner Group has not faded away. Colin Clarke, *Christopher Faulkner, and Raphael Parens join to discuss what the Wagner Group is up to now, who is leading it, and how the K...

The Continent takes a (slight) detour to learn how trends over in Eurasia compare with what we're seeing in Europe. The complicated neighbor is the same; what about the domestic and geopolitical landscape? Temur Umarov offers insights on the effects of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Kazakhstan's domestic and foreign policy. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Where does Russian public sentiment on politics and war stand these days? And on a more basic level, how is it measured? Bear Market Brief talked with Isabelle DeSisto of Russia Watcher to learn more! Join the Bear Market Brief on Substack! Learn more about Russia Watcher here Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

On this week's special episode of the Bear Market Brief, Aaron Schwartzbaum sits down with FPRI Fellow Maximilian Hess to talk about his new book "Economic War: Ukraine and the Global Conflict Between Russia and the West" (Hurst, 2023). This episode was recorded live on September 28, 2023. For more on the international economic order and the conflicts shaping it, check out Max's newsletter, Confli...

In a career spanning from the height of the Cold War to the fight against Al Qaida, Michael Vickers worked at every level of the US national security community. From his time as an Army Green Beret trained to parachute behind Soviet lines in Europe with a “backpack” nuclear weapon, to his final assignment as the senior official responsible for all Department of Defense intelligence activities, few...

Politically and socially, how are Ukrainians contending with a difficult, long war? Fabrice Deprez joins from Kyiv to give us an update on this week's Bear Market Brief. Check out Fabrice's newsletter, Eastern Radar Subscribe to the Bear Market Brief Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

How much do Moldovan politics rhyme with some of what we've seen in Ukraine? FPRI Senior Fellow Ecaterina Locoman sheds light on language politics, Ukraine war spillover, and frozen conflict. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

How do we remember tragedies? How do populations construct memories and memory institutions around these events? How can contemporary researchers begin to make sense of these complex landscapes? On this episode of Baltic Ways, Dr. Margaret Comer of University College London joins us to discuss heritage studies, dark heritage, and her fieldwork in Russia and Estonia. Get full access to FPRI Insight...

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 put the Black Sea region on the map in Washington, DC and Brussels after decades of relative neglect. Among regional countries Romania was an early, vocal and persistent proponent of greater US and NATO focus on the region and has emerged as a leader in the drive for greater regional integration and cooperation. To discuss Bucharest’s role in the reg...

Two years ago this month, Taliban forces rolled into Kabul, completing their takeover of Afghanistan. After 20 years of U.S.-led effort and investment in the Afghan government and security forces, they collapsed almost instantly in the face of an enemy with less training and rudimentary equipment. To understand the sources of this strategic failure, Dr. Carter Malkasian, one of the foremost expert...

Clausewitz wrote that the first task of a commander is to establish “the kind of war on which they are embarking; neither mistaking it for, nor trying to turn it into, something that is alien to its nature.” After two decades of counterinsurgency operations, the US Army now finds itself observing – and supporting – Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s aggression. The war has turned into a grinding, at...

Robert Hamilton and Rick Landgraf join Aaron to tackle (almost) every question you were too embarrassed to ask about the defense and security issues central to Ukraine. Term by term, concept by concept, jargon by jargon. No acronym is safe! Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

How have Latvian and Lithuanian histories intertwined over the last millennium? Who was Queen Morta, a Latvian princess by birth who became the wife of Lithuania’s first and only king, Mindaugas? How close did we come to a Latvian-Lithuanian state in the early 20th century? How do Latvians and Lithuanians see their shared commonalities today? James Montgomery Baxenfield, Junior Research Fellow at...

Have you heard calls for Ukraine and Russia to "just negotiate"? What does theory say about how (and why) wars come to an end? Christine Cheng joins to discuss. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

The Black Sea region looms increasingly large as the locus of of great power, military, political, and economic competition. FPRI’s Eurasia Program partnered with Ilia State University in Tbilisi, Georgia, to hold a two day conference on Black Sea geopolitics, security, strategic connectivity, and resilience. In this episode, Head of Eurasia Research, Robert Hamilton, is joined by Director of the...

On this special double feature, The Continent visits the Balkans. How do we make sense of continued nationalism, the conflict it spurs, and Russia's regional influence? Mladen Mrdalj and Jasmin Munjanovic join to discuss. Related Reading: Hunger and Fury: The Crisis of Democracy in the Balkans Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

If you're a Russian against the war in Ukraine, what options do you have? And how has resistance evolved as the war has continued? Colleen Woods joins the Bear Market Brief. Related Reading: Is Russia’s anti-war movement changing people’s minds? by Colleen Woods Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

How has Russia's (latest) invasion of Ukraine exacerbated issues in domestic governance and political economy? András Tóth-Czifra joins Aaron Schwartzbaum to discuss his latest report "The War as an Accelerator: How Russia's War Against Ukraine Showcased and Exacerbated Domestic Governance Challenges." Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

How did Estonian democracy erode in the 1930s? How did liberal dissidents express their discontent under a more oppressive regime? Why is political rhetoric important, both now and then? Dr. Liisi Veski, fellow at the Skytte Institute, University of Tartu, dives into this complex, informative world of letters. Baltic Ways is brought to you by the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies ,...