The Eastern European Transatlantic Network

Russian mis- and disinformation occupied a prominent place in discussions about the war in Ukraine, but have you ever wondered how and why they are so effective? This week, Declan is joined by Dr. Juris Pupcenoks to examine how narratives are crafted and disseminated in Russia and internationally.   To learn more and keep up with the EETN follow us on social media and check out the website listed...

Over the past decade, China has expanded its presence in the Caucasus, improving infrastructure, establishing business interests, and expanding the trading potential of the region. The middle path, a key cog in the Belt and Road Initiative, connects east and west, opening new avenues for Chinese-European trade. On this episode, Declan sits down with Paul Gosselin to discuss how and why this middle...

Canada sits in a precarious position between Europe and the United States. Declan sits with Dr. Alexander Moens to discuss the moves taken by the Carney government to align itself for the world to come.   To learn more and keep up with the EETN follow us on social media and check out the website listed below:  X (Twitter) - EETN LinkedIn - EETN Instagram - EETN Bluesky - EETN Website - EETN (Carle...

The European Arctic has always been a space of opportunity and overlapping jurisdictions. In this episode, Declan is joined by Dr. Andreas Raspotnik, Director of the High North Center, to discuss how the High North presents opportunities and complications for the EU. They discuss how economic and hard security concerns are reshaping the return of focus to the region and how a more holistic underst...

The war in Ukraine has entered its 5th year of conflict with little hope of it ending soon. In this episode, we look at the internal decisions being made by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the appointment of Chrystia Freeland. Declan is joined by Kim Nesbitt, EETN editor and PhD candidate, to examine what changes made by Zelenskyy to his inner circle could mean for a post-war Ukraine.   To learn...

The war in Ukraine has entered its 5th year of conflict with little hope of it ending soon. On this episode, we highlight the voices of resistance and resilience in Ukraine and in the diaspora. First, Declan is joined by Albina Kovalyova , a documentarian and award-winning journalist to discuss “Kharkev War Diaries.” A BBC Eye Investigation, it tells the story of three residents of Kharkev who rem...

With brewing tensions over American threats to annex Greenland, Declan sits down with Dr. Paal Sigurd Hilde to discuss its importance to Arctic security and what this means for NATO. Dr. Hilde is a professor and researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. His research focuses on Arctic defence policy, NATO, and Nordic and international defence cooperation. He presented at Carleton U...

The Canadian government has recently called for NATO to “devote more focus to defence in the Arctic”. In the lecture, Professor Paal Hilde from the Norwegian Defence University College will outline the history of the Arctic’s place in NATO deterrence and defence and give his thoughts on the opportunities and challenges for further engagement of the Alliance in the region. Dr. Paal Sigurd Hilde is...

  EETN Event: NATO at a Crossroads: Present Challenges and Future Trajectories   Hosted in partnership between the EETN, Carleton University, and the NATO Association of Canada, this event brings together academics and policymakers to examine NATO’s current challenges and future trajectory in light of shifting global security dynamics. Discussions will focus on the war in Ukraine, renewed great-po...

We have seen a much more aggressive posture from US peace negotiators under US President Donald Trump. This podcast will move past the headlines to ask how shifting conceptions and goals of peace talks mean for the rules-based order and the historical legacies that have informed this current moment. To discuss this and more, Declan is joined by Dr. Jean-François Ratelle, an adjunct professor and r...

The COVID-19 Pandemic has birthed a new generation of conspiracy theories - ones that are unique and others that feed on historical legacies. On this episode of the EETN podcast, Declan is joined by Dr. Margarita Zavadskaya, a professor and researcher at The Finnish Institute of International Affairs and the University of Helsinki. Their conversation examines how COVID conspiracies have exposed de...

This episode of the EETN podcast explores the goals and accomplishments of the Network's mentorship program. Working across international borders and academic disciplines, the program forged partnerships between young scholars and students and experts within their field. Dr. Jeff Sahadeo begins by explaining what the program accomplished this year, before we hear from Marika Barbieri-Antonoglou, a...

As part of our mentorship program, Declan sat down with Eva Gaigalniece, a PhD candidate at the University of Latvia, researcher of radicalization, and journalist. They examined how the war in Ukraine has provoked rising radicalization in Latvia's Russian-speaking minority population. Building on her policy memo , Eva outlines how radicalization happens and what the Latvian government is doing to...

As part of our mentorship program, Declan sat down with Marika Barbieri-Antonoglou, an undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa. They discussed the policy memo , published earlier this month, where Marika explored how Russian "doppleganger" campaigns contributed to influencing voter preferences by amplifying anti-EU and anti-Ukrainian support narratives in the lead-up to the 2024 European...

In January, Declan sat down with Dr. Stanislav Budnitsky, a Visiting Assistant Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Colgate University, to discuss how Russia is harnessing humour as a weapon of war. It breaks down the insidious ways that Russian propaganda campaigns harness humour, pranks, and the internet to aid their war in Ukraine.    To learn more and keep up with the EETN follow us on...

Declan is joined by Dr. Ryhor Nizhnikau, a Senior Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, to dissect how Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus have responded to changing EU and Russian policy in the face of unpredictability. This conversation foregrounds the recent histories of these three nations and how that has informed the present moment. To learn more and keep up with the E...

On this episode of the EETN Podcast, Gabriella Pickton discussed the future of Moldovan, Ukrainian and Georgian accession in the face of the war in Ukraine with Dr. Frank Schimmelfennig, a Professor of European Politics and member of the Center for Comparative and International Studies at ETH Zurich. Recorded in January, this episode looks holistically at the appetite from EU accession in these tu...

On this episode of the EETN Podcast, Valeriia Gusieva sits down with Dr. Maria Popova, an Associate Professor of Political Science at McGill University, to examine the fallout of Russo-American talks. The conversation foregrounds the sidelining of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and how the security community can react to the shifting geo-political landscape.    To learn more and keep up w...

Declan is joined by Dr. Magdalena Dembinska, a political scientist at the University of Montreal, to explore the enigma that is de facto states. This conversation centres on the questions posed by Transitria, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia in Moldova and Georgia as the two countries draw closer to the EU. This conversation follows Dr. Dembinska's presentation at the Center for European Studies in Nov...

On this episode, Declan sits down with Dr. Tom Casier, the Chair of Global Politics of Europe at the University of Groningen, to discuss the perceived openness to new EU accession talks. In an illuminating conversation, Dr. Casier explains how the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has prompted a new round of accession talks and what that might mean for the EU as a security power. The two explore how...

This episode of the EETN takes a deep dive into the recent Georgian Parliamentary elections and the fall out of the latest victory for Georgian Dream. Declan sits down with Dr. Anna Rekhviashvili, a PhD from York University who focuses on Anti-Gender and Andt-Feminist studies in Georgia and the Caucuses, to shed light on the rising right-wing populism and anti-gender movement in the country. They...

On the first episode of the Eastern Transatlantic Network Podcast get to know the faces behind the newest research department at the Institute of European Russian and Eurasian Studies. Declan sits down with Dr. Crina Viju-Miljusevic, Dr. Paul Goode, and Dr. Jeff Sahadeo as they outline what you can expect from the EETN. Over this brief introduction, they discuss the EETN's research goals, mentorsh...