Eyes on Eurasia with Glen Howard

Glen Howard Eyes on Eurasia
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Hi Everyone, I have had such a great reaction to my articles that I decided to begin releasing interviews with guests who follow regional security issues more closely and are experts on the subject matter. To kick things off please be my guest to listen in on the issues of the day and how these events may continue to unfold. My personal Substack is about developments and trends that shape the geopolitics of Eurasia. glenhoward.substack.com

  1. 4D AGO

    Lost in Space: Where is Russia Headed - Upward or Downward? An Interview with Russian Space Expert Pavel Luzin

    Hello everyone, Welcome to the latest episode of my Eyes on Eurasia podcast! In this episode, we are going to explore the troubled state of the Russian space program. Borrowing from the 1960s classic television series Lost in Space, this episode will also, in true Star Trek fashion, boldly go’ where few have gone before and ask a simple but urgent question: Where is Russia’s space program - headed upward — or downward? Following a major explosion last November at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan — long Russia’s primary launch site — serious questions have emerged about Moscow’s strategic launch capabilities and the future of its manned space program. As Russia suspends its participation in the International Space Station (ISS) mission and its launch numbers fall to their lowest levels since 1961—the year Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space—the future of Moscow’s space ambitions is increasingly uncertain. To discuss these developments, I’m joined by Dr. Pavel Luzin, Senior Fellow at The Saratoga Foundation and a Visiting Scholar at The Fletcher School. In my view, Pavel is one of the West’s leading experts on the Russian space program, who is currently writing a book on the future of Russia in space. In this episode, we will examine the Baikonur accident, Russia’s stalled transition to the Vostochny Cosmodrome, delays in the development of next-generation spacecraft, and the recent developments with Russia’s hijacked use of Starlink to mount a series of devastating drone attacks on Ukraine earlier this month. We will also discuss why the Russian space communication satellite program is in the dismal state it finds itself in today, and what all this means for the broader trajectory of Russian space power. Enjoy the podcast! Glen Get full access to Glen’s Substack at glenhoward.substack.com/subscribe

    50 min
  2. Assessing Witkoff's Mission to Moscow: An Interview with Ambassador Daniel Fried and Andrei Illarionov

    12/06/2025

    Assessing Witkoff's Mission to Moscow: An Interview with Ambassador Daniel Fried and Andrei Illarionov

    Hi everyone, Welcome to Episode 24 of my Eyes on Eurasia podcast with Glen Howard. This episode is available exclusively to paid subscribers of Glen’s Substack. If you’d like to unlock the full podcast and get access to all premium content, consider upgrading to a paid subscription. Your support helps keep this publication going and brings you even more great episodes. Simply click below to subscribe and start listening! We have a great lineup for this podcast and are going to examine in-depth the recent mission to Moscow by US special envoy Steve Witkoff. Having recently traveled to Moscow and held a five-hour meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and a small group of Kremlin advisers. US negotiations efforts have taken a new turn. The past week has been a whirlwind of news about bringing peace to Ukraine, first with a US-imposed Thanksgiving deadline for Ukraine as part of a revised US peace plan that has been whittled down from 28 points to 19-20 points that serve as a new diplomatic goal for the Trump Administration. Helping us to dissect all of this news is Ambassador Daniel Fried, a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, who is one of America’s most seasoned and influential diplomats. Over a remarkable career spanning seven US presidential administrations, Ambassador Fried has helped shape U.S. strategy toward NATO expansion and America’s long-running approach to Russia. Our second speaker is former Kremlin insider Andrei Illarionov, who once served as a presidential adviser to Vladimir Putin on the Russian economy. Mr. Ilarionov is now a Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Policy and a frequent commentator on US-Russian relations and a frequent guest on my Eyes on Eurasia podcast. Enjoy the show! Glen! Get full access to Glen’s Substack at glenhoward.substack.com/subscribe

    48 min

  3. 11/16/2025

    The Rise of Russkaya Obshchina in Putin’s Russia: Echoes of the Black Hundreds? A Conversation with Sergey Sukhankin and Paul Goble

    Hi everyone, Welcome to the Eyes on Eurasia podcast with Glen Howard! Another menacing cloud is emerging within Putin’s Russia known as: Russkaia Obshchina (Russian Community), which is a new utra right wing nationalist group that is rapidly attracting thousands of new followers across the country. Once a marginal nationalist initiative, Russkaia Obshchina has rapidly evolved into a powerful, state-linked paramilitary formation that fuses xenophobic populism, Orthodox fundamentalism, and ultranationalist ideology. Russkaia Obshchina bears a disturbing ressemblance to the anti-semitic Black Hundreds group that terrorized Russia’s Jewish community in Tsarist pre-revolutionary Russia prior to World War I and continued to plague Russian society until the country’s collapse in 1917. Helping us to examine the rise of Russkaia Obshchina—its similarities and differences with the Black Hundreds, and the nature of Russian state support for the group—are two leading experts on the issue: Sergey Sukhankin, a Senior Fellow at The Saratoga Foundation and Paul Goble, a Distringuished Fellow Emeritus at The Saratoga Foundation and author of the blog: Window on Eurasia. Enjoy the podcast! Glen Get full access to Glen’s Substack at glenhoward.substack.com/subscribe

    56 min

  4. 10/17/2025

    Episode 22: The Pakistan–Taliban Border Clashes & the Unresolved Pashtun Question: A Conversation with Abubakar Siddique

    Hi everyone, Welcome to Episode 22 of the Eyes on Eurasia podcast with Glen Howard. Pakistan and Taliban-ruled Afghanistan are back in the news. This time it is not about Pakistan’s support for the Taliban but an eruption in border fighting between the two countries that has created the worst tension between the two countries in recent memory. At the heart of this conflict is the still unresolved Pashtun question. My podcast dives into the headlines on the recent clashes along the Afghan-Pakistan border to discuss the recent fighting and explore the deep rooted nature of this current round of tension. During the past week, tensions have surged between the two countries after the Taliban-led government in Kabul claimed its forces killed 58 Pakistani soldiers in a retaliatory operation along the 2,600-kilometer frontier. This latest confrontation marks one of the most serious border clashes in years and highlights the worsening relationship between the two countries. Helping me to dissect the roots of the conflict between the Taliban ruled government in Kabul and Islamabad is Abubakar Siddique, a journalist, author, and research scholar specializing in coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan. He has reported on South Asia and the Middle East for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty for nearly two decades and is widely recognized as one of the leading experts on the region. Mr. Siddique’s expertise is reflected in his landmark 2014 book, The Pashtun Question: The Unresolved Key to the Future of Pakistan and Afghanistan — a work considered among the most insightful analyses of the deep-rooted tensions shaping relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Siddique frequently speaks at leading think tanks across Europe and North America, contributes to research publications, and is regularly cited in major Western media outlets. Enjoy the podcast! Glen Glen’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Glen’s Substack at glenhoward.substack.com/subscribe

    1 hr
  5. Episode 21: After the Alaska Summit: Trump, Putin and Zelensky and The Road Ahead in US-Russia-Ukraine Talks, with Andrei Illarionov

    08/20/2025

    Episode 21: After the Alaska Summit: Trump, Putin and Zelensky and The Road Ahead in US-Russia-Ukraine Talks, with Andrei Illarionov

    Hello everyone, Welcome to Episode 21 of my Eyes on Eurasia podcast with Glen Howard — a special edition on the recent Alaska Summit! This is a particularly timely issue. Superpower summits are back: last Friday, President Trump met in Anchorage, Alaska with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Earlier this week, he hosted seven European leaders at the White House, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Now, speculation is growing about a possible trilateral summit between Trump, Putin, and Zelensky. At the heart of the debate: the mysterious “NATO-style” security guarantee being discussed for Ukraine — despite the absence of a ceasefire — as Washington pursues the unusual strategy of seeking a peace agreement with Russia first, while simultaneously floating potential land swaps between Russia and Ukraine as part of those negotiations. To help us make sense of these fast-moving developments in U.S.–Russia relations, I’m joined by Andrei Illarionov — former presidential adviser to Vladimir Putin on the Russian economy, former Kremlin insider, and now a Senior Fellow at the Center for Security Policy. A frequent commentator on Russian affairs, Andrei will share his impressions of the Alaska Summit, the recent meetings in Washington, and what we can expect in the weeks ahead. Enjoy the show! Glen Glen’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. * Get full access to Glen’s Substack at glenhoward.substack.com/subscribe

    52 min
  6. Episode 20: The Crisis in Russian-Azerbaijan Relations: A Conversation with Farid Shafiyev & Matt Bryza

    07/08/2025

    Episode 20: The Crisis in Russian-Azerbaijan Relations: A Conversation with Farid Shafiyev & Matt Bryza

    Hi Everyone, Welcome to the 20th episode of my Eyes on Eurasia Podcast! Things have been heating up in the Caspian as a new series of events has unfolded regarding Russian relations with Azerbaijan in recent weeks. Tensions between Moscow and Baku have gone off the rails since the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijani brothers—Huseyn and Ziyaddin Safarov in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg on June 27. To the outside world, Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Vladimir Putin have often appeared to maintain stable and neighborly relations. Some even claim that Russia and Azerbaijan were allies due to Russian backing for Azerbaijan in its recent wars with Armenia over Karabakh. Nevertheless, beneath that veneer, long-standing frictions have persisted—and now, they’ve erupted into a full-blown diplomatic crisis. The recent unraveling in Azerbaijan-Russian relations began last year, when Russian air defenses in Chechnya struck a civilian Azerbaijani Airlines (AZAL) flight, which led to the crash of the AZAL airliner in western Kazakhstan on December 25, 2024, killing 38 of the 67 people on board, Since then, the government of Azerbaijan has repeatedly demanded an apology from Moscow and accountability from the Russian side, but no such acknowledgement has been made. Following the deaths of the Safarov brothers, the situation escalated further: Azerbaijan detained several Russian journalists working for the Russian state outlet Sputnik, canceled high-level diplomatic visits, and accused Moscow of deliberately targeting ethnic minorities. Behind these developments, Moscow is quite unhappy as it now senses it is losing influence in the South Caucasus to Turkey following Armenian President Pashinyan’s June 21st visit to Istanbul and meeting with Turkish President Tayip Erdogan. The Russia-Azerbaijan crisis certainly reflects a deep transformation occurring in post-Soviet geopolitics, signaling not just a bilateral breakdown but the potential unraveling of Russian influence throughout the South Caucasus. Joining us today to discuss these recent events are Ambassador Farid Shafiyev, Chairman of the Center for Analysis of International Relations, and Ambassador Matt Bryza, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan and a senior American diplomat with over 30 years of experience covering Russia, Azerbaijan, and the Caspian region. Enjoy the podcast! Glen Speaker Bios: Ambassador Shafiyev is Chairman of the Center of Analysis of International Relations (AIR Center) a Baku-based thinktank and a former diplomat in the Azeri Foreign Ministry who previously served as Azerbaijan’s ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2014 to 2019. In 2009, Farid Shafiyev was appointed Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Canada, where he served until July 2014. From July 2014 to February 2019, Dr. Shafiyev was the Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the Czech Republic. Dr. Shafiyev is the author of numerous op-eds, articles and several academic publications, including “Resettling the Borderlands: State Relocations and Ethnic Conflict in the South Caucasus” by McGill-Queen’s University Press (2018). Farid Shafiyev has been lecturing in the field of International Relations and Foreign Policy in Baku. Currently, he is an Adjunct Lecturer at ADA University. Ambassador Matthew Bryza is a former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan and a 23-year career as a U.S. diplomat that ended in 2012. Ambassador Bryza served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State (2005-2009) and Director on the National Security Council Staff at the White House (2001-2005) for Turkey, Cyprus, Greece, Central Asia, and the South Caucasus. From 1998 to 2001, Ambassador Bryza was the Deputy Special Advisor to the President and Secretary of State on Caspian Basin Energy Security. He also served in the U.S. Missions to Russia (1995-1997) and Poland (1989-1991). Bryza is a frequent commentator in media outlets that have included CNN, Al Jazeera, The BBC, Fox News, Skye News, The Financial Times, Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and Chicago Tribune, as well as numerous outlets in Turkey and the South Caucasus. Get full access to Glen’s Substack at glenhoward.substack.com/subscribe

    42 min
  7. Episode 19: Kellogg's Mission to Minsk: US Diplomacy and the Future of US-Belarusian Relations

    06/30/2025

    Episode 19: Kellogg's Mission to Minsk: US Diplomacy and the Future of US-Belarusian Relations

    Hello everyone, Welcome to Episode 19 of my Eyes on Eurasia podcast with Glen Howard! In this episode, we’re taking a close look at what’s happening inside Belarus, which recently became the focus of U.S. diplomacy with the June 21st visit of Keith Kellogg, President Trump’s Ukraine envoy. Kellogg is now one of the highest-ranking American officials to visit Belarus since February 2020, when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a landmark trip — the first by a U.S. secretary of state to Minsk since 1993. The success of Kellogg’s visit was underscored by the release of 14 political prisoners following a six-hour meeting with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenka — a major signal of improving U.S.–Belarus relations. During President Trump’s first term, we witnessed a remarkable shift in bilateral ties, marked by high-level visits to Minsk from Secretary Pompeo, former National Security Advisor John Bolton, and A. Wess Mitchell, the former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs. These visits helped pave the way for a transformation in U.S.–Belarus relations. To many observers, this renewed engagement indicates that Minsk is once again seeking to balance its strategic relationship with Russia — a key ally and neighbor of both Belarus and Ukraine — while reengaging with the United States. Belarus also borders three NATO member states: Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, making its geopolitical positioning especially significant. Joining the podcast to explore the positive trajectory of U.S.–Belarus relations are Grigory Ioffe, Professor Emeritus at Radford University in Virginia, and Dr. Yauheni Preiherman, founder and director of the Minsk Dialogue Council. Dr. Preiherman also organized the now-suspended Minsk Forum, a major conference that brought together leading foreign policy experts from across Europe to discuss Belarus’s role in international affairs. Enjoy the podcast! Glen Speaker Bios: Grigory Ioffe Dr Grigory Ioffe is Professor Emeritus, Radford University, Radford, Virginia. Dr. Ioffe immigrated to the United States from Russia in 1989. Active in Belarusian studies since 2002. He has authored and co-authored multiple peer-refereed articles on Belarus. Ioffe’s book, Understanding Belarus and How Western Foreign Policy Misses the Mark, was published by Rowman and Littlefield in 2008 and again in 2014. Published in 2014 by Palgrave Macmillan, his book Reassessing Lukashenka: Belarus in Cultural and Geopolitical Context is based on extensive interviews with the Belarusian leader. Ioffe also co-authored the third edition of Historical Dictionary of Belarus, published by Rowman and Littlefield in 2018. He used to regularly write about Belarus for the Eurasia Daily Monitor. Yauheni Preiherman Dr. Yauheni Preiherman is the founder and director of the Minsk Dialogue Council on International Relations, a Belarus-based think tank that focuses on analysis and Track-2 engagement on regional security in Eastern Europe. His main research interests include the foreign policies of small states, international affairs in Eastern Europe, and Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security. Glen’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Glen’s Substack at glenhoward.substack.com/subscribe

    1h 5m

  8. 06/08/2025

    Episode 18: After Operation Spiderweb: Is the Kerch Strait Bridge Ukraine's Next Target?

    Hello everyone! Welcome to Episode 18 of my Eyes on Eurasia podcast with Glen Howard. In this episode I am excited to interview two prominent Ukrainian naval experts on Black Sea security. My guests are retired Ukrainian Admiral Ihor Kabanenko and Captain Andrii Ryzhenko. Part one of the interview will address the recent Ukrainian drone attack on Russia known as Operation Spiderweb where I will obtain their military assessments on the continuing fallout from the devastating Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian strategic aviation. My guests will also share their views about how the devastaiting strikes affect the future of the Russian strategic nuclear Triad. Part two of the podcast will focus on the future of the Kerch Strait bridge. Earlier this week a Magura 7 Uncrewed Surface Vechicle (USV), or sea drone, attacked the Kerch Straits bridge penetrating several layers of Russian security attempting to destroy one of the four vulnerable pillars holding up the bridge. What makes the future of the Kerch Straits Bridge so timely to discuss is the belief among some Ukraine experts that Germany finally delivered the long-awaited Taurus bunker busting cruise missile to Ukraine. If true….then it is could be a matter of weeks if not days when Ukraine could use the missile to strike the bridge making it inoperable. Loss of the Kerch Straits bridge would have a a major impact on Russia’s ability to resupply Crimea and could be a turning point in the war and we will discuss all these aspects in this extended podcast. Enjoy, Glen Guest Bios: Ihor Kabanenko Ihor Kabanenko is an expert on the Russian navy and Ukrainian defense and security issues. A retired admiral with the Ukrainian Navy, Kabanenko served in the Soviet navy from 1983 to 1990, in various positions up to Commander of the ship and Chief of Staff of Missile Ships Division. Since 1993, he served in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He was appointed to the positions of Chief of Operations and Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Navy, the Military Representative of Ukraine to NATO, Chief of Operations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and the First Deputy Chief of Defence. He retired in 2013, with the rank of Admiral. From May to August 2014, Admiral Kabanenko served as the Ukrainian Deputy Minister of Defense, and from August to October 2014—as Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine for European Integration. Currently, he works for the private industry and is an expert on defense and security issues. Andrii Ryzhenko Captain (ret.) Andrii Ryzhenko is an expert on Russian naval forces and naval strategy. He is a former officer in the Ukrainian Navy and retired from the Armed Forces of Ukraine with the rank of Navy Captain. Captain Ryzhenko served over 35 years at sea and ashore: aboard surface warships, at Ukrainian Navy HQ on maritime tactics and PfP exercises, and as defense and strategic planner. He also worked on Ukrainian Navy transformation to Euro-Atlantic standards and on the contribution to NATO-led operations and NATO Response Forces. He served in NATO on partner nation units’ evaluation methodology (OCC E&F) at Supreme Allied Headquarters Europe (SHAPE) (Mons, Belgium), and he developed maritime aspects of the National Security Strategy in Ukraine. Capt. Ryzhenko is currently a strategic expert at the defense and logistics consultant firm, Sonata. Glen’s Substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Glen’s Substack at glenhoward.substack.com/subscribe

    56 min
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Hi Everyone, I have had such a great reaction to my articles that I decided to begin releasing interviews with guests who follow regional security issues more closely and are experts on the subject matter. To kick things off please be my guest to listen in on the issues of the day and how these events may continue to unfold. My personal Substack is about developments and trends that shape the geopolitics of Eurasia. glenhoward.substack.com

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