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Updated 09/01/2025
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Updated 21/06/2024
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Updated 11/11/2025
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4 days ago

WTH Is Going On with Iran? General Jack Keane Explains.

We’re now in the eighth week of a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The Trump Administration is stuck in a holding pattern as Iranian negotiators continue to ignore US redlines and both sides insist on their own superior leverage. The unfortunate reality is that many in the Trump Administration are being fed a false calculus and discredit the ability of the US military to maintain the blockade, open the Strait, and destroy and extract nuclear material. To entertain such Iranian wishes as a billion-dollar reconstruction fund ignores the fact that CENTCOM Commander Bradley Cooper has confirmed: it would take 10-14 days to accomplish the full breadth of our military objectives in Iran. Yet, the Trump Administration is committed to making a deal, with Secretary Rubio echoing the same commitment to the negotiation seesaw. But Iran is an inherently bad faith actor. And it is using the upcoming midterms to its advantage. What now? How will we break the cycle? Thankfully we have General Jack Keane, who provides a clear-eyed strategy for victory against Iran. General Keane is widely recognized as one of America’s most respected authorities on foreign policy and national security. He is a retired four-star Army general, former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army having served our nation in uniform for 37 years. He is Fox News senior strategic analyst and is the chairman of the Institute for the Study of War. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.

4 days ago

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1hr 21min
16 Apr

WTH: The Iran Blockade? Miad Maleki Explains.

One week after claims of an "Iranian victory", with Tehran supposedly leveraging the Strait of Hormuz and outmaneuvering Donald Trump, the narrative has shifted. U.S. and allied naval forces have applied sustained pressure, effectively constraining Iranian shipping and energy exports, all without deploying ground troops. With these constraints in mind and the cards in Washington’s hands, the real deal making begins. But, apart from the challenge of the nuclear “dust,” the missile program, and terrorism, the regime will continue to pose a threat to its own people. With time on America’s side, should a grand strategy consider how to best empower the Iranian people? Miad Maleki is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and a U.S. Air Force veteran. He previously worked as Associate Director for the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Global Targeting at the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), where he played a central role in architecting the Treasury Department’s sanctions campaigns against the Iranian regime and its extensive network of proxy groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi Shiite militias, and the Houthis. Mr. Maleki also served as the assistant director for counterterrorism, nonproliferation, and Middle East sanctions and as OFAC’s chief and senior sanctions coordinator for Iran and the Middle East. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.

16 Apr

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1hr 1min
25 Mar

WTH: Trump's Iran Endgame. General Jack Keane Explains.

Three weeks into Operation Epic Fury, we share cautious optimism with General Jack Keane on the current state of our military operation in Iran. News of Donald Trump's negotiations with Tehran and an extended partial ceasefire require us to carefully define our objectives and determine what a good deal really requires. General Keane makes it clear, "They would have to surrender to us in major concessions all the things that we are physically taking away from them to include keeping the Strait of Hormuz open." With a three-week horizon, is regime change at the hand of the Iranians still viable? What lies at the end for this regime, once their missiles, cash, and nuclear materials are gone? And what is Admiral Coopers' game plan to get us there? General Jack Keane is a retired 4-star general and former Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army. He is the Chairman of the Institute for the Study of War and a Fox News Senior Strategic Analyst. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.

25 Mar

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1hr 4min
30 Mar

WTH Is Next in Iran? Israeli Ambassador Yechiel (Michael) Leiter Explains.

Operation Roaring Lion, now in its fourth week, has been a striking display of military coordination between the United States and Israel. Building on the success of decapitating Iran’s senior leadership, crippling its navy, and degrading its ability to terrorize its neighbors, U.S. and Israeli leaders are now weighing Tehran’s rhetoric against the reality of its diminished capabilities. Rumors of a “split” in priorities between Washington and Jerusalem, particularly claims that President Trump is quickly seeking a “off-ramp”, misread the resolve of both nations and fail to see the bigger picture at hand. In the remaining weeks, what objectives remain? Where do U.S. and Israeli missions converge or diverge? And what will ultimately signal their success? Ambassador Leiter officially assumed his role as Israel’s Ambassador to Washington on January 27, 2025. Among his prominent roles, he served as an advisor to the late Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Chief of Staff to then-Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Deputy Director General of the Ministry of Education, and Acting Chairman of the Israel Ports Company. Beyond government, Leiter was affiliated with think tanks such as the Kohelet Policy Forum and the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, where he focused on issues like Israeli sovereignty, security strategy, and critiques of the Oslo Accords. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.

30 Mar

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55 min
25/07/2024

Looking Ahead: US Elections and Ukrainian Peace

New changes are coming to the Eastern Front podcast, and we will be relaunching a new and improved version of the podcast at the beginning of September. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Dalibor and Iulia say goodbye to our dear host Giselle Donnelly and detail the changes that are to come for the podcast. Additionally, the hosts delve into the implications that the election may have on foreign policy. What are Kamala Harris's stances on issues important to the Eastern flank? What can we expect from a peace deal for Ukraine negotiated by a potential future Trump administration? What could the future of the NATO alliance look like under the leadership of the current candidates? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here.

25/07/2024

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22 min
25 Feb

WTH: Four Years of Putin's War in Ukraine. Frederick W. Kagan Illuminates.

Yesterday marked the fourth anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Four years of war in which Russian forces have occupied roughly one and a half percent of Ukraine’s territory at the cost of approximately half a million lives. Our guest, Frederick W. Kagan, and his team at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and the Critical Threats Project (CTP) assess that Russia’s strategy is to win at the negotiating table what it cannot seize on the battlefield. Putin’s theory of victory rests on the assumption that Russian forces will continue grinding forward indefinitely, regardless of the cost, and that he will be able to persuade the West to abandon Ukraine, ultimately forcing Kyiv to concede more than it already has. Successful negotiation requires changing Putin’s calculus. Over the past four years, Ukrainians have made their position unmistakably clear: “We would rather die than be part of Russia.” So, what will drive this tipping point toward peace? Would a global inflection point against malign actors and axis partners change Putin's negotiating position? And what security guarantees from the West would be sufficient to sustain this hypothetical peace? Frederick W. Kagan is a senior fellow and the director of the Critical Threats Project (CTP) at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). He edits CTP’s and the Institute for the Study of War’s (ISW) daily updates on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He was previously an associate professor of military history at West Point, and he earned the Distinguished Public Service Award for his volunteer service in Afghanistan. Dr. Kagan coauthored the report Defining Success in Afghanistan and is the author of the “Choosing Victory” report series, which recommended and monitored the US military surge in Iraq. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.

25 Feb

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1hr 12min
25/06/2024

A New Security Framework for the Eastern Front

Ahead of the NATO summit, Ukraine's potential future membership in NATO and its implications for regional security is being hotly debated. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia report their insights from Dalibor's recent travels to Chisinau, Moldova and Odessa, Ukraine. How are demographic declines impacting these cities? What are the roadblocks to NATO and EU membership in countries like Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine? What alternatives exist for security guarantees to defend against Russian aggression in the region? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Read more about the wine-making cultures of Georgia and Moldova as discussed in the episode here and here.

25/06/2024

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32 min
19/06/2024

The Future of Georgian Democracy: Challenges and Opportunities (with Shota Gvineria)

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.

19/06/2024

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36 min
16/04/2024

NATO and Nukes (with Artur Kacprzyk)

With continued uncertainty over the trajectory of the war and aid to Ukraine, European nations have begun to consider the need for a more aggressive deterrence posture. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Artur Kacprzyk, analyst in the International Security Programme at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, to discuss how NATO can capitalize on its nuclear deterrent. What does the current state of NATO's nuclear deterrence look like and how effective has it been? How are different Eastern European countries thinking about nuclear deterrence? What changes should be made to nuclear policy at the NATO summit this summer? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Read Dalibor's piece It’s Time to Give Poland Nuclear Weapons here.

16/04/2024

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32 min
29/01/2024

Defining Ukraine's National Identity (with Maria Popova and Oxana Shevel)

As Putin attempts to erase Ukrainian identity, keeping Ukraine's unique history and culture alive has become ever more important. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Maria Popova and Oxana Shevel, associate professors of political science at McGill University and Tufts University, respectively, to discuss their new book, Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States. How has Ukraine resisted Russian influence and pursued democracy? What impact has the war had on Ukrainian self-identity? And how has academia tackled issues around Eastern European identity? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Purchase Russia and Ukraine: Entangled Histories, Diverging States here.

29/01/2024

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37 min

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