Latika Takes: The Podcast

Latika Bourke
  • 5.0 (2)
  • POLITICS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Australian-British writer and journalist Latika M Bourke discusses geopolitics, national security and defence with invited guests. www.latikambourke.com

  1. Latika Takes interviews Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna

    3D AGO

    Latika Takes interviews Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna

    This week Latika Takes: The Podcast welcomes back Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, who is travelling to Australia this week. The Estonian Foreign Minister sets out why he supports the US and Israel’s war against Iran, but won’t be involved. He expresses unhappiness with the Trump Administration’s oil reprieve granted to Vladimir Putin in spite of the Russian President’s continued war in Ukraine. They discuss the validity of the Coalition of the Willing deploying in Ukraine. And Mr Tsahkna discusses his conversation with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi about ending the war in Ukraine. Thanks for listening. Please rate and review my podcast. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.latikambourke.com/subscribe

    50 min

  2. MAR 1

    🇺🇦 From Kyiv, Latika Takes interviews drone pilot 'Bambi'

    This week, Latika Takes: The Podcast is in Kyiv, Ukraine, marking the fourth anniversary of Vladimir Putin’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Latika interviews ‘Bambi,’ a 20-year-old American who gave up his life in Georgia, US to fight for Ukraine. The pair sit down in Kyiv just hours before Bambi left to return to the Donbas, where he is fighting for Ukraine in the sensitive area of Pokrovsk, a city the Russians have all but taken, but at huge cost and after more than a year. Bambi discusses the futility of hashtagging beliefs and causes versus actions and his views on the global rules. He reveals what it’s like to live underground in a two-by-three metre hole for two straight months and hunt down Russians using drones. He discusses how he survives communicating with Ukrainians who don’t speak English, the ethics of killing using drones, and watching his fellow fighters die. Bambi has asked if I can include a PayPal link to donate to his unit. I am more than happy to do this. Ukraine suffers from not being able to mobilise as many men as Russia or pay them enough. Russia uses mercenaries, foreigners and pays huge sums to get men to the frontline where it outmasses Ukraine. Please consider donating to Bambi’s unit here. Latika Takes in Ukraine is entirely self-funded. Please consider contributing towards this work if you find it informative. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.latikambourke.com/subscribe

    31 min

  3. FEB 22

    🇺🇦 From Odesa, Latika Takes interviews Oleksii Goncharenko

    This week Latika Takes: The Podcast is in the Black Sea city of Odesa, Ukraine. The city is covered in ice and snow, a sight not seen by locals for around a decade, reflecting the brutally cold war winter that Ukrainians have endured. In Kyiv, temperatures have dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius, at the same time, Russia’s Vladimir Putin has deliberately attacked energy infrastructure. Ahead of the fourth anniversary of the full-scale invasion, Latika M Bourke sits down with the high-profile opposition MP Oleksii Goncharenko, who is a prominent critic of Ukraine’s wartime President Volodmyr Zelenskyy. Mr Goncharenko discusses Ukraine’s exhaustion and the viability of continuing the war for another winter, the corruption scandals around Zelenskyy, and the security guarantees Europe and the US can provide Ukraine. This interview refers to a range of articles and ideas that Latika Takes has previously covered and discussed, which I’ve linked below for your ease: Thanks for reading Latika Takes! This post is public so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.latikambourke.com/subscribe

    37 min

  4. FEB 17

    🇩🇪 From Munich, Latika Takes interviews Richard Marles

    This week Latika Takes: The Podcast is at the Munich Security Conference in Bavaria, Germany. Latika interviews Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles about his debut appearance at Europe’s largest security and defence conference in Munich, Germany. Mr Marles discusses the future of the war in Ukraine, why rules still matter in the global order and China’s military build-up. He gives his reaction to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s address to the MSC and his views on the health of the transatlantic alliance. And he shares the details of the gift given to him by his new running mate, Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjirō Koizumi. The panels discussed in this podcast can be found here. Latika Takes is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.latikambourke.com/subscribe

    41 min

  5. FEB 8

    🇺🇸 From Washington DC, Latika Takes interviews Jim Townsend

    This week Latika Takes: The Podcast is in Washington DC and interviews the former US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Jim Townsend. Mr Townsend, now at the Centre of New American Security, completed more than two decades of work on European and NATO policy in the Pentagon, at NATO and at the Atlantic Council. His work spanned the Cold War, post-Cold War political reconstruction in Europe and Europe's new challenges including Russia and terrorism. Latika and Jim discuss US President Donald Trump’s approach towards NATO and the Alliance’s worst day after the threat to invade Greenland. He also discusses the activation of Article 5 and the effect of Trump’s traducing of Allied war dead in Afghanistan on future NATO and Allied military missions. Mr Townsend warns that Russia is poised to come back from its war in Ukraine stronger than ever and that Europe could return to its pre-World War state if NATO collapses because of a loss in US leadership. And he discusses whether NATO boss Mark Rutte is too fawning over Mr Trump. Jim Townsend also podcasts on the transatlantic alliance at Brussels Sprouts. Latika Takes is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.latikambourke.com/subscribe

    1h 4m

  6. JAN 4

    Latika Takes interviews Arsen Ostrovsky

    This week Latika Takes: The Podcast interviews ARSEN OSTROVSKY who was shot during the Bondi terror attack at Bondi Beach on December 14. An international human rights lawyer, Ostrovsky relocated back to Australia just 2.5 weeks before the attack, to take up a position as Head of Sydney Office of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council, a leading Jewish communal advocacy organisation. In this interview, Arsen Ostrovsky discusses being shot in the Hannukah attack and the ten minutes between being hit and finding out this his wife and two young girls were safe. He took this photo to see his injuries and sent it to his wife not knowing if this would be his last message to her. Mr Ostrovsky is now among the many campaigners pushing for a federal Royal Commission into antisemitism, something the Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is resisting. He also discusses the fake images of him that went viral after the attack, which used AI to generate images of him depicting him having fake blood applied by make-up artists. Latika Takes is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.latikambourke.com/subscribe

    41 min

  7. 12/18/2025

    🇦🇺 From Melbourne, Latika Takes interviews Josh Frydenberg

    This week Latika Takes: The Podcast interviews former Liberal Treasurer and prominent Jewish figure Josh Frydenberg. Mr Frydenberg served as Treasurer between 2018 and 2022 but lost his Melbourne seat. He is widely tipped to return to politics and seek the leadership. Since leaving Parliament and October 7, he has been an avowed campaigner on antisemitism and produced a documentary on the surge in Australia. You can watch that here. He discusses why he blames Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for the terror attack and the moments that led to his explosive speech at Bondi. You can watch that in full here. The Prime Minister said shortly after this interview was recorded when asked about the criticisms: ‘Of course, more could have always been done. Governments aren’t perfect. I’m not perfect.’ Latika asks Frydenberg if the Bondi attacks have influenced his thinking about returning to politics, why Labor has not been as strong as it could have been on antisemitism and what he told his young children about the attacks. Latika Takes is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.latikambourke.com/subscribe

    42 min

  8. 12/07/2025

    Latika Takes Interviews Dmytro Kuleba

    This week Ukraine’s former foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba joins Latika Takes: The Podcast. In this wide-ranging and candid interview, Mr Kuleba reveals Kyiv’s strategic mistakes, including how his attempts to cultivate Jared Kushner as a contact for Ukraine were blocked by President Volodymyr Zelensky’s now-resigned but then-all-powerful chief of staff, Andriy Yermak. He discusses how Russia gained the advantage over Ukraine, which fell into the trap of believing its own spin after early battlefield wins. He also discusses whether Ukraine needs or wants the Coalition of the Willing and his belief that Vladimir Putin will attack a NATO ally within years, if the US and Europe stay on their current course. Finally, Mr Kuleba reveals his thoughts on a Presidential run. Latika Takes is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.latikambourke.com/subscribe

    43 min
See All (46)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Australian-British writer and journalist Latika M Bourke discusses geopolitics, national security and defence with invited guests. www.latikambourke.com

Information

  • Creator
    Latika Bourke
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    46
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Latika M Bourke
  • Show Website
    Latika Takes: The Podcast

You Might Also Like