The Geopolitical Pickle

Syria has been brought back from the cold in the Middle East, with some diplomatic relations restored and invitation back into the fold of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League. Is the surging Captagon trade behind this over decade long isolation coming to an end? Join us as we talk with Caroline Rose ( @CarolineRose8 ), Director of the Strategic Blind Spots Portfolio at the...

Welcome back to The Geopolitical Pickle. In this episode, we venture into the heart of West Africa, where a series of military coups have sent shockwaves through the region. This summer witnessed coups in Niger and Gabon, adding to a growing list of military takeovers, particularly in former French colonies. But what's striking is the emergence of what experts are calling the new "Coup Belt." This...

What are the conditions for statehood? What determines whether a state will be internationally recognized? Is international recognition needed? What does it depend on? Join us on this debate as we explore the world of Unrecognized States and discuss their similarities and differences of entities such as The Holy See, Somaliland, Kosovo and Bougainville.    Follow us on every platform for more cont...

How is the security situation in East Asia evolving? How does Japan see its geopolitical position as part of this given the emerging threats of Russia and China? Mr. Hideo Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to the Czech Republic, discusses the challenges and opportunities that Japan sees in its region and beyond.  Follow us on social media! FB - The Geopolitical Pickle IG - @thegeopoliticalpickle TW - @t...

Before winter we released an episode analyzing the situation in the war in Ukraine and its geopolitical aspects.  Now, in late spring 2023, we update again the current situation and assess the potential outcomes of the conflic. This time we are joined by Ridvan Bari Urcosta, expert in the Black Sea region, Russia, Ukraine and Middle East and analyst for Geopolitical Futures and Strategy & Future....

In this episode we are joined by Geopolitical Futures Chief Operating Officer and lecturer on international relations at the Romanian National University of Political Studies and Public Administration Antonia Colibasanu .   Starting with an introduction to Geoeconomics, find out what the terms mean, how Europe is vulnerable, and the interplay between economics and geopolitics that shape all intern...

On March 20th 2003 the USA and the UK, alongside other allied countries invaded Iraq in order to remove Saddam Hussein and put an end to his program producing Weapons of Mass Destruction. Saddam was overthrown, but the weapons were never found.    20 years since the first troops landed in Iraq, the invasion and subsequent insurgency and political turmoil reshaped the entire Middle East and the for...

South Africa is undergoing a disastrous energy shortage crippling the economy and stirring unrest. Join us as we talk with ex-ANC spokesperson Isaac Mashaba about what is behind the current national disaster. With elections due in 2024, what are the future prospects for the party of Nelson Mandela and how could the impacts be felt across the SADC region.

How could AUKUS and nuclear submarines jeopradise the future of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)?  Listen to expert Sébastien Philippe ( @seb6philippe ) as he weighs in on this potential threat to the 1968 treaty and the serious implications for our future. 

Královec is a historic territory located where current day Kaliningrad stands - a strategically vital part of modern day Russia. What's the deal with the region and how does it relate to the current war in Ukraine? Find out about exclaves, how they are governed from their home territory, and more with special guest Bohumil Doboš ( @BohumilDobos ) of Charles University.

Welcome back to the second part of our 2022 year in review. If you haven't listened to the first part, we suggest that you do that first. In this two part series we aim to break down some of the major developments across the world including of course the war and its ramifications as well as some of the other big stories that may have been overshadowed due to the ongoing conflict.  This  episode co...

2022 has been a crazy year with huge geopolitical developments around the globe in the midst of the first large scale war on the European continent since WW2. In this two part series we aim to break down some of the major developments across the world including of course the war and its ramifications as well as some of the other big stories that may have been overshadowed due to the ongoing confli...

The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup has put the focus on a phenomenom called "sportswashing". Today we will talk about how sports are used by actors as a form of soft-power to create an image to the world. Is the World Cup an example of sportswashing? How does it fit into the historical context which has played out through the 20th Century? Tune in to hear our discussion on sportswashing spanning a mult...

We are back at the 11th Annual Geopolitical Conference in Charles University, Prague, and this time with three of the speakers of the event: Dr. Peter Eltsov, Mr. Eeben Barlow and Dr. Bohumil Dobos. In this panel-discussion, they each gave us their thoughts on the present and future of the international order in the wake of the war in Ukraine. Organized by the MA in Geopolitical Studies, this year...

Brazil is a massive country of over 200 million people and 8.5 million km2, the 5th largest in the world. Because of it's massive size and richness, it is the major international player in South America by far, and has historically had an important position in the international arena.  Today, we´re joined by Felipe Simoni from Espetinho Internacional. We dive into the latest electoral results in B...

The war in Ukraine has signified a massive shift in European defence thinking as well as the arms industry required to defend the EU and NATO in the eventuality of a war on the continent. In this episode we interview Tomáš Kopečný, Deputy Minister for Defence Industrial Cooperation, Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic. He gives us insights on the military aid given to Ukraine from the West i...

After the elections in Italy and Sweden, many media outlets and people in general have raised their concerns about the far-right gaining quotas of power in the EU. Some analysts are seeing these and other electoral results, as well as certain public speeches all over the EU, as a far-right wave that might threaten the current established system.  Today we debate about this, and we pose several que...

We are back with Hussein Solomon, Head of the Department of Political Sciences of the University of the Free State and author of numerous books and articles on Political Islam and jihadist groups. This is part two of our conversation, so we recommend you listen to part one before this one. We move the focus onto the role Political Islam in the current power struggle for the Middle East, as well as...

We are back with Hussein Solomon, Head of the Department of Political Sciences of the University of the Free State and author of numerous books on jihadism and Political Islam.   Today, we look at different jihadi groups across West Africa in Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso, as well as other groups operating in Somalia and Mozambique.   Recorded 19/09/2022   Follow as on every platform! Instagram: @th...

Today we take a deep dive into Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine with geopolitical insights into the current situation. Winter is fast approaching in Ukraine which is traditionally characterised by freezing temperatures and plenty of snow. How will the war evolve through this period? We make some predictions which we can look back on early next year to see how accurate (or inaccurate!) we both were....

This episode is the second part of our interview with International Crisis Group's Senior Southern African correspondent @PiersPigou so if you haven't listened to part 1, we recommend you do that first. Today we talk about the current political situation in Zimbabwe in the lead up to 2023 elections as well as the fallout from Russia's war in Ukraine across Africa. Some countries have shown an unwi...

Today's episode is the first of two parts where we spoke with International Crisis Group's Senior Southern African correspondent Piers Pigou. We cover a range of topics including the organisation's mission, Private Military Contractors across Africa and the current security situation in Mozambique and more widely, the African continent.  You can find Piers on Twitter @PiersPigou to follow the late...

In this episode, we talk to the Ambassador of Western Sahara (or Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic - SADR) to South Africa on the current geopolitical situation of the territory from their own perspective.  Ambassador Mohamed Yeslem Beissat explains the views of the Saharawi people and their fight for international recognition and the ongoing disputes with neighboring Morocco. Join us for this fasc...

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland, two historically neutral Scandinavian countries, both moved quickly to apply to join NATO. Listen in for a background on why, and join the debate as we list some pros and cons of the two countries accession bids.   Let us know if you agree or disagree by getting in touch at: https://linktr.ee/thegeopoliticalpickle

Dive into the world of practical geopolitics with Dr Bohumil Dobos ( https://twitter.com/BohumilDobos ) of Charles University, including a background explanation of what geopolitics is and how it affects the world around us. For more information about a Masters in Geopolitics:( https://geopolitics.fsv.cuni.cz/GEO-4.html ) For more information on the Geopolitical Pickle: https://linktr.ee/thegeopol...