The Eastern Front AEI Podcasts

Since the ruling Georgian Dream party passed a controversial 'foreign agents' law in the face of mass public protests, fears about Russian influence and the future of Georgian democracy have been heightened. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Shota Gvineria, a lecturer at the Baltic Defence College and senior fellow at the Economic Policy Research Center, to discuss the current situation in Georgia. What are the prospects for a pro-Western democratic shift to occur in Georgia's upcoming election? What role should the US and the EU play in defending Georgian democracy? What can be done to contain Russian influences in Georgia and prevent the country from becoming the next Belarus?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Turkey has attempted to balance its relationship with Russia and its commitments to NATO. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Ozgur Ünlühisarcikli, regional director of the German Marshall Fund in Turkey, to give his insights on Turkish politics and strategy. How has Turkey approached its relationship with Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine? What is Turkey's view on further NATO expansions, particularly to Ukraine or Georgia? What does Turkish strategy in the Black Sea look like?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here.

Disclaimer: This episode was recorded before the Biden administration announced it would allow Ukraine to carry out limited strikes inside of Russia using US-made weapons.
In many ways, Ukraine is fighting with one hand tied behind its back as its access to weapons systems has been limited. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Phillips O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews to discuss the state of the war in Ukraine and its possible path to victory. What weapons systems could Ukraine benefit from that the US has not yet provided? What obstacles stand in the way of Ukrainian victory? How are Ukrainians viewing the issue of conscription?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Find Phillips' podcast Ukraine Russia War Talk here.

There's been a concerning rise in populism in Central and Eastern European countries, as has been the case in Hungary and Slovakia under the respective presidencies of Victor Orbán and Robert Fico. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Maria Snegovaya, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, to discuss her new book, When Left Moves Right: The Decline of the Left and the Rise of the Populist Right in Postcommunist Europe. Why are Eastern and Central European countries seeing a resurgence of populism? How concerning is democratic backsliding and is the phenomenon limited to Europe? How is Putin using Soviet narratives to advance his agenda in Russia?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Purchase a copy of Maria's book here.

As Europe has been slow to respond to the Russian threat, the Baltic states have been ringing the alarm bells. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Kristjan Prikk, Estonian Ambassador to the United States, to discuss the Baltic perspective ahead of the July NATO summit. What issues are Estonians hoping to see on the summit's agenda? What has been Estonia's experience as a frontline NATO state? How has the security environment in the Baltic and Nordic states changed since Sweden and Finland's accession to NATO?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. 

On May 15th, Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico was shot five times in an attempted assassination and, as of this recording, remains in critical condition. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia draw on Dalibor's local expertise to unpack the breaking news and its developments. What is Fico's political background and why is he such a polarizing figure? What implications does the assassination attempt have for the state of liberal democracy and political polarization in Slovakia? What impact will this have on the upcoming European Union elections?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Read Dalibor’s analysis of Robert Fico's attempted assassination here.