The Geopolitical Pickle

Argentina's geopolitical stand has evolved since its independence in the early 19th century. From cattle to lithium this South American giant will be key for the upcoming multilateral system, but can the current ultra-liberal government of Milei grab the momentum? How does Argentina relate to the global powers like US and China? Will it be a regional hegemon? Today we welcome Facundo Argüello as h...

Second part of the end-of-the-year episode and we look back at the first year of The Pickle Gazzette. We keep reviewing the articles published on rare earths, oil, and nuclear weapons, and discuss how have they been of importance for geopolitical issues in 2025. Enjoy the holidays!   Follow our Newsletter on Substack!   Newsletter: https://substack.com/@thegeopoliticalpickle Disinformation Project...

First part of the end-of-the-year episode and we look back at the first year of The Pickle Gazzette. We will review the articles published and discuss how have they been of importance for geopolitical issues in 2025. Enjoy the holidays!   Follow our Newsletter on Substack!   Newsletter: https://substack.com/@thegeopoliticalpickle Disinformation Project: https://youtu.be/9TdDalo_XI0?si=pMOlJsPxu-Cu...

Not that long ago NATO seemed to have fulfilled its purpose and many were asking whether it was worth it to keep such a grouping. Since the war on Ukraine however, NATO has found purpose and is gaining momentum as the most important military alliance in the world.  Together with Jakub Landovský, former Czech Ambassador to NATO, we discussed the situation of the organization prior to the full-escal...

In June 2025 the city of Prague hosted GLOBSEC Forum 2025, one of the largest and most influencial security events in Europe. Our colleague Matt Heibel was there, and we will discuss with him the key takeaways from the event as well as the current security situation in Europe, the problems with a unified approach, and the perceptions shared by experts and politicians in the event.   Mentioned past...

Antonia Colibasanu, author among other works of "Geopolitics, Geoeconomics and Borderlands: A Study of a Changing Eurasia and Its Implications for Europe" comes to the podcast again to help us understand the current state of affairs in global trade. Tariffs, changes in alliances, uncertainty... These words are capital to understand today's state of global trade. In an era of apparent recession of...

At the beginning of the year, polls were giving a strong victory to the conservative opposition in Canada and Australia ahead of their elections in May. Five months later, both states saw a sweeping majority for the incumbent center-left parties coming out of their elections in a historical 180-shift of the vote. And one name comes to the table, Donald Trump. Join us in the analysis of the impact...

We asked AI to help us understand how will Artificial Intelligence impact geopolitics! We explore how AI is reshaping global power structures, influencing international relations, redefining national security, and impacting democracy. From cybersecurity dilemmas to economic strategies and the impact on the battlefield, discover how different actors are navigating the AI revolution. Tune in for an...

1 Trillion Euros. That's what the EU Comission is aiming to unlock in order to ramp-up it's defence industry. How did we get here? What is the current state of EU's collective defence? How does the future of NATO look like with the current Trump administration?    Newsletter:  https://substack.com/@thegeopoliticalpickle Disinformation Project:  https://youtu.be/9TdDalo_XI0?si=pMOlJsPxu-CuW7rv All...

Donald Trump has taken the White House by storm from the first day, and bombarding national and international media with topics to cover. In today's episode we speak about Tariffs, what they are, and the possible reasons behind Trump's use of them against its own "allies". What do they represent for USA's relations with it's allies in the short and medium run? What geopolitical map is being drawn...

Christmas-End of the year-Whenever you watch it-Special Episode of The Geopolitical Pickle! This year was really eventful, and we wanted to have a more relaxed set up to comment it. In a unique episode, we talked about the year 2024 and some of the most important news that we received. From AI, to climate change, and obviosly Geopolitics with Syria, Russia, or USA. From The Geopolitical Pickle, we...

TGP is back! After Disinformation Project we are back with our normal format and today we discuss BRICS. What started as an acronym used by economists in the West to name the upcoming economic powers in the early 2000s has transformed into a series of summits where economy and geopolitics go hand in hand. Is it the beginning of a cohesive counterbalance to the US-led economic system? How have they...

In this fourth episode we spoke with Dr. Susan Conrad from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung about the Russian influence in Africa in the last decade. From Central African Republic, to the disinformation campaigns in the Sahel, we explore the actions of Russia and its affiliated actors (Wagner Group) directed at gaining presence in Africa at the expense of the West's eroding presence and with the help...

In this fourth episode we talked with Will Brown, a former journalist and current Senior Policy Fellow of the European Council of Foreign Relations, about the evolution of the socio-political landscape of the Sahel and East Africa. Starting with a background of the situation of both regions, we will explore the grievances against French position in the Sahel and how have disinformation campaigns s...

This is the third episode looking at Disinformation in Africa. Today we talk with Nicolas Henin, a journalist who has extensively covered the Iraq War and the Syrian Civil War. He has now moved his focus onto Disinformation activities in Africa as part of the group (Mis)Translating Deceit. With this background he gives us a great understanding of the current situation on the ground in Africa and h...

In this second episode we interviewed Salem Solomon, Senior Editor at Voice of America (VOA) in its Africa Division. Salem will give us an overview of the media landscape in Africa. She explained us that Africa is a massive continent with different realities, and with a complicated record regarding press freedom. The introduction of social media has also impacted the landscape on the continent, ma...

In this first episode we interviewed Mark Duerksen, from Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Mark has been part of the project "Mapping the Surge of Disinformation in Africa" from ACSS, where they analyzed the disinformation landscape of Africa, mapping where did disinformation campaigns take place and who run them. Link to the project: https://africacenter.org/spotlight/mapping-a-surge-of-disinf...

30 months on, the battle continues as Ukraine resists Russia's invasion. Today we are joined by Ridvan Bari Urcosta to discuss the current situation in Ukraine and how it is likely to evolve. What is the reason behind Ukraine's Kursk counter-operation and how are Ukrainian frontlines in the Donbas holding up? What could be the implications of USA allowing Ukraine to use  long-range missiles like A...

Recent elections in Venezuela have brought back memories of 2018 when many countries recognised opposition leader Juan Guaidó, and an opposing bloc recognised incumbent Nicolás Maduro. This time following disputed elections, supporters of the opposition and leader Edmundo González claim they won the election in a landslide and can prove it with a tally of the votes.  Find out how the situation has...

Two of the BRICS member democracies had elections over May and June this year. The two countries are regional and global powerhouses. South Africa for the first time since the end of apartheid did not have an ANC majority, while for India, the predictions of a Modi supermajority also failed to come to pass.  What impact will these two elections have on their region, BRICS, and the global geopoliti...

Japan has recently shown an interest in joining AUKUS pillar two, the trilateral military-technological agreement between Australia, UK and USA. Although they are allies, Australia and UK seem hesitant, while the US, Japan's closest ally has been very supportive of the move. Is Japan joining AUKUS a real possibility, what can Tokyo bring to the table, and how would it affect regional security?   #...

On 21st May, the Pentagon said that Russia had launched an anti-satellite weapon into space. This followed the February announcement that US intelligence believed that Moscow was developing a weapon of mass destruction or nuclear weapon to be used in space against foreign satellites. Do these threats usher in a new space race and what could that mean for the future of warfare, security, and the ac...

Last month, riots broke out in Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia - a small island grouping in the Pacific Ocean. These riots were in response to a French law that would give more people the right to vote on any future independence referendums on the territory. How does New Caledonia fit into France, why is it geopolitically important, and who are the interesting actors that are said to be invol...

In July 2023, government troops stormed the capital Niamey in Niger, ousting the elected President and siezing power. Since then, the military regime in Niger has requested that the US troops pack up and leave their territory, leaving behind the US's largest drone base in the world in Agadez. Tune in as we explore how this will effect regional geopolitics and Washington's efforts to fight counter...

Israel has launched an all-out-war against Hamas in Gaza in the aftermath of the Oct 7th attack, and there are many implications of it.  In this episode our hosts talked about the current situation in the ground and the effects that it has in the Middle East and the world. How will it affect Israel's relation with its allies? What repercussions will the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have to global...