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Updated 11/11/2025

6 Aug

WTH Should I Read This Summer? "The Arab Case for Israel" by Hussain Abdul-Hussain.

Kicking off our annual What the Hell summer book series, Hussain Abdul-Hussain discusses his new book, "The Arab Case for Israel: And Other Essays from a Distant Conflict". Having grown up in Beirut and in Baghdad surrounded by anti-Israel rhetoric, Hussain recounts his journey from accepting the region's conventional wisdom to concluding that normalization with Israel is one of the Arab world's greatest strategic opportunities. He argues that economic cooperation, not perpetual conflict, offers the best path to a more prosperous and stable Middle East, and that the Abraham Accords demonstrated what is possible when governments prioritize the future over a mythical past. WTH is preventing more countries from following that path? And can the promise of the Abraham Accords still be realized? Hussain Abdul-Hussain is a research fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) and the author of the book The Arab Case for Israel (Wicked Son/Post Hill Press 2026). He champions immediate, unconditional, and comprehensive peace between every Arab nation and the Jewish state. Hussain’s research focuses on Arab affairs, spanning Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Sudan. His career launched as a reporter, and later managing editor, at Beirut’s The Daily Star. In Washington, he helped launch and manage the congressionally funded Arabic satellite network Alhurra Iraq before leading the Washington bureau of the Kuwaiti daily Alrai. He has also served as a Visiting Fellow at London’s Chatham House. His latest book is The Arab Case for Israel and Other Essays from a Distant Conflict (2026). Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.
29/12/2023

Looking Back and Looking Forward

Despite battlefield gains in 2022, the last year has brought significant hurdles to Ukraine's fight against Russia. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia reflect on the past year's events and consider what might be in store for the Black Sea region—and the world more broadly—in 2024. They discuss Western will and commitment to Ukraine, the future of Zelenskyy, Russia's war plans, and Biden's re-election prospects. Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. "Wake Up, West! Putin Can Gain Upper Hand in Ukraine in '24 if We Do Nothing," by Iulia Joja.
28/02/2024

Two Years Out From the War in Ukraine

A lot has happened since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine just over two years ago. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia reflect on events from the past two years and consider what the future of the conflict might look like. Would a second Trump administration inevitably push the war in Russia's favor? And would a Biden re-election necessarily mean more aid for Ukraine? How have the Europeans compared in their support for Ukraine? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here.
4 Jun

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.
08/04/2024

NATO Needs to Step Up (With Andrew Michta)

As NATO celebrates 75 years of defense, Russian threats continue to gnaw at the strength of the alliance. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Andrew Michta, director and senior fellow of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Strategy Initiative, to discuss where NATO goes from here. Who should be the next NATO secretary general? What more can NATO members do to effectively counter Russian misinformation? At this stage in the war, are NATO members more or less likely to continue supporting Ukraine? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here.
12 Jun

WTH Is Trump Doing In Iran? Miad Maleki Explains.

In his relentless pursuit of a deal with Iran, Donald Trump has now returned to military escalation, resuming combat operations and warning that the United States will seize Iran’s key oil export hub on Kharg Island. This so-called moderate ceasefire signals a renewed campaign of punishing strikes on Iran until it agrees to terms set by the administration’s negotiating team. As Miad explains, however, Iran’s hardline is not the “leverage” Tehran believes it to be, because Iran ultimately must reopen the Strait of Hormuz for its own economic survival. But at this moment, Donald Trump has no viable partner for peace, and Iran will likely never offer such an option. As Marc and Dany point out, there is no Iranian Delcy Rodríguez, and these kinds of arrangements have expiration dates, particularly as 2028 approaches. As long as the sole measure of success in Iran is a negotiated deal, the Iranians hold the power to decide whether victory is possible. It is up to Trump to decide whether that's acceptable. Miad Maleki is a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), former senior U.S. sanctions strategist and national security leader, and former associate director for the Treasury’s Office of Global Targeting at the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Miad played a central role in marshalling the Treasury Department’s sanctions campaigns against the Iranian regime and its proxy groups: Hezbollah, Hamas, Iraqi Shiite militias, and the Houthis. He is also a U.S. Air Force Veteran. Read the transcript here. Subscribe to our Substack here.
20/11/2024

Trump and the Transatlantic Relationship (with Dan Hamilton)

On this episode of The Eastern Front, Dalibor and Iulia welcome Dan Hamilton, a senior fellow at John Hopkins University's SAIS Foreign Policy Institute and a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution to discuss the future of the Transatlantic relationship under a Trump presidency. How will the US Senate constrain or support Trump's foreign policy? Is Europe prepared for the changes that a Trump administration will bring? In their news segment, Dalibor and Iulia discuss Trump's cabinet picks and the upcoming Romanian election? How will Trump's cabinet picks shape the future of US foreign policy? Will Romania elect a far-right president in their upcoming elections? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Listen to Iulia's recommended podcast episode here.
30/10/2024

Combating Russian Influence in the Black Sea and Beyond (with Stefan Meister)

On this episode of The Eastern Front, Dalibor and Iulia welcome Stefan Meister, head of the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations. What opportunities should the West be seizing to displace Russian influence in the Black Sea region, South Caucuses and beyond? What should the EU be prioritizing for its Black Sea strategy? Dalibor and Iulia discuss the outcomes of the Georgian and Bulgarian elections, as well as the North Korean troops stationed in Russia in their news segment. What does the election outcomes in Georgia and Bulgaria signal about the state of Western influence in the region? As Russia increases cooperation with North Korea and other partners, what can the West do to counter it? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Read Iulia’s recommend article here. Read the joint statement of EU ministers on the elections in Georgia here.
07/02/2024

Moldova: Russia's Next Target? (with Adrian Băluțel)

Continued support for Ukraine is not just important for Ukrainians; many Eastern European countries are increasingly worried about their own security. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Adrian Băluțel, the chief of staff to the president of the Republic of Moldova, to discuss Moldovan security and the security of the Eastern European region at large. To what extent does additional funding for Ukraine also support the wider region against Russian aggression? How has Moldova, specifically, fared against Russian information operations? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here.
16/10/2024

Securing Ukraine's Skies: Challenges of Defense and Deterrence (with Lesia Orobets)

On this episode of The Eastern Front, Dalibor and Iulia welcome Lesia Orobets, Founder of the "Safe Sky for Ukraine" Initiative and former member of the Ukrainian Parliament to discuss her initiative. How are Russian bombardments impacting Ukraine? What support does Ukraine need to make it through the winter? Dalibor and Iulia discuss the security outlook for Eastern Europe in their news segment. Has the Kursk offensive failed to achieve its objective? Why are some European nations dragging their feet on revamping their defense industrial bases? Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Read Iulia’s recommend article here. Register for Dalibor's upcoming event here.

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