The Transatlantic Debrief

In the latest episode of The Transatlantic Debrief, I sat down with Jacob Reynolds, Head of Policy at MCC Brussels, in the MCC—Viktor Orbán's think tank here in Brussels—for an hour-long, uncut conversation on sovereignty, European identity, and the far-right project reshaping EU politics. The MCC is the hub for policy and exchange among the European far right, a far right that is growing, on...

Volt Europa was founded in 2017 to counter the rising tide of nationalism across Europe, and to address the concern that a Europe divided is a Europe that can't act globally nor generate a viable alternative to the United States or China. Today, nationalist parties hold power in seven EU member states and occupy 26% of the seats in the European Parliament. At the same time, the United States o...

In this episode, I sit down with Erik Jones, Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute, to discuss the deepening crisis in transatlantic relations and Europe's path forward. We explore:  • Why cautious optimism about the transatlantic relationship is still possible despite the current rupture  • How the EU should engage a Trump administrati...

In this critical conversation, Rasmus Jarlov, Chairman of the Danish Parliament's Defence Committee, discusses the escalating crisis over Greenland following negotiations between Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. After the January 15th White House meeting ended with "fundamental disagreement," President Tru...

Five days after US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military operation that killed over 100 people, I sat down with Venezuelan economist Jorge Jraissati to unpack what this means for Venezuela's future—and what it reveals about American power, international law, and financial sovereignty. Jorge, a Venezuelan native and President of the Organization for Economic...

On December 4th, the Trump administration released its National Security Strategy—a document that warns of Europe's "civilizational erasure." In the leaked longer version, it proposes a "Core 5" with China and Russia while excluding Europe entirely, and declares "the days of the United States propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over."  What does this...

In the relentless churn of global crises—from Ukraine to Gaza to Sudan—some horrors risk fading from view not because they've ended, but because our attention has simply moved on. Chief among these is the plight of ethnic minorities in China. This week on The Neomedieval Ledger, host Samuel Dempsey talks with Alerk Ablikim about how China's systematic repression of Uyghurs, Tibetans, and H...

This week marks a pivotal moment in the battle for Europe's future. The European Parliament has voted through the Green Omnibus—a sweeping deregulation package that undermines core environmental protections—with decisive support from the far right. Meanwhile, the Digital Omnibus is set to be unveiled on November 19th, threatening to dismantle fundamental GDPR protections under the guise of simplif...

We are now 721 days into the war in Gaza. According to Gaza health authorities, at least 65,000 people have been killed and over 166,000 wounded—with Israeli military data indicating that 83% of those killed are civilians. The New York Times headline on the day of shooting this podcast says it plainly: “Europe Talks Big on Gaza but Struggles to Act.” In this episode of The Neomedieval Ledger , hos...

In this episode of The New Medieval Ledger, host Samuel Dempsey speaks with leading European security analyst Maria Martisiute about what may already be war between Russia and NATO. From recent Russian drone incursions into Polish and Romanian airspace, to NATO’s reactive launch of Operation Eastern Sentry and the EU’s announcement of a Drone Wall by 2027, they examine whether Europe is responding...

In this episode, I speak with Terrell Jermaine Starr—an independent American journalist based between Kyiv and Brooklyn. Terrell speaks Russian, Georgian, and is learning Ukrainian. With over 16 years of lived experience in Ukraine, he’s a leading voice on Ukraine–U.S. relations, democracy, and life in wartime Kyiv. He also runs the popular Substack, Terrell J-Star Official . Our conversation cove...