The Global Agora

How much should we be surprised by the scale and quickness of the demonstrations in Sri Lanka? What has led to such turmoil? I talked to Ashok Swain. He is a Professor and Head of the Department of Peace and Conflict Research at the Uppsala University. We have also discussed what's next for Sri Lanka's powerful Rajapaksas' family and if the Russian war against Ukraine contributed to the country's problems. And does Professor Swain think that Sri Lanka's protests are just a prelude to similar events around the world? This podcast was recorded on July 13th before the resignation of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his travel from the Maldives to Singapore. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

"If the current amount of support from the West to Ukraine was present in 2014 over the annexation of Crimea, we could have avoided a lot of people being killed. But I'm glad that Ukraine is receiving support, and hopefully, there will be more support and long-term support." This is what Anton Barbashin said to me during our debate. He is an editorial director of Riddle, which is a website about Russia I can only wholeheartedly recommend. We discussed if we can compare Russian President Vladimir Putin to historical figures like Peter the Great, Hitler, or Stalin.  Anton pointed out that Putin connected his fate to the war against Ukraine. So how would the Russian President define victory or loss? Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Ben Hodges is a former commanding general, United States Army Europe. He believes Ukraine can win the war Russia started on February 24th. Why does he believe this? How should the West help Ukraine? Should it send troops? "I would say right now we have the best strategic advantage over Russia we have had in the last 70 years," General Hodges told me. What does he mean by this and why does he think that the West should communicate to Russia that it will support Ukraine forever? And we also talked about the NATO summit that is taking place this week in Madrid. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Do the conservative Justices at the Supreme Court impose their religious beliefs on America? The Supreme Court overturned the Roe vs Wade verdict that was the law of the land for almost 50 years. Prior to this decision, I talked to Diana Carlin. She is a Professor Emerita of Communication at Saint Louis University. We had a debate about how the Supreme Court works, past precedents, culture wars, and also if the US is approaching The Handmaid's Tale world, and if the US can become a religious tyranny. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Toni Alaranta is a senior research fellow in the European Union research programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). His areas of expertise include Turkey’s domestic and foreign policies, in particular Turkey’s relations with the EU, the US and Russia. According to him, Ankara has the maximalist and the minimalist position toward the Finnish and Swedish NATO bid. We also talked a bit about Turkish domestic politics and about how President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been poisoning relations with the allies for over a decade. And does Turkey also have some justified demands related to Finland and Sweden's NATO applications? Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

We have started our conversation talking about Germany and about what German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is doing or not doing regarding Ukraine. But, and perhaps inevitably, we have moved our discussion to what is going on in America and what might happen. And the question is: Does Russian President Vladimir Putin only need to survive until Donald Trump will be back in the White House? At the annual GLOBSEC conference in Bratislava, I talked to Rachel Rizzo. She is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center where her research focuses on European security, NATO, and the transatlantic relationship. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Would Russia be willing to use nuclear weapons? And what about the West, especially the US? I talked to Alexander Bollfrass, a Senior Researcher at the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology - ETH Zurich. Why does he think that it seems that Russia makes a whole class of nuclear weapons exclusively for television? We also discuss if the risk of a nuclear incident is higher now and if we should get rid of nuclear weapons. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

As CNN pointed out, it's the third time in recent months that American President Joe Biden has said the US would protect Taiwan from a Chinese attack, only to have the White House walk back those remarks. Over a few decades, the US has intentionally maintained a position characterized as strategic ambiguity when asked whether it would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack by China. But the fact is that the American President creates the debate as it seems he is clearer about US intentions in regard to Taiwan than his predecessors. Does Biden want to have Taiwan's cake but also eat it? Is everything somewhat the same, but different? But still the same? Of course, China reacted furiously to Biden's statements but it's pretty sure that Beijing has to take them into account when thinking about Taiwan. So what's going on? Would the US defend Taiwan militarily if China would attack? Are there some scenarios under which America wouldn't react? Those questions were answered by China watcher and publisher of the China Neican Adam Ni. We also discussed how Russia's war against Ukraine affects China and its plans related to Taiwan and how far would Beijing go to help Moscow. And is Chinese communist chief Xi Jinping nervous? Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

On May 14th, 18-year-old Payton Gendron killed 10 people and wounded three; 11 of the 13 shot were Black residents and the attack took place in a predominantly African American neighborhood in Buffalo. The far-right terrorist wrote a manifesto connected to the Great Replacement conspiracy theory and according to CNN just before the attack, he invited people to the chatroom at the messaging social platform Discord to discuss his act of racist violence. This chatroom included months of posts written by Gendron and the messages illustrated his white supremacist views and how he wanted to kill as many minority people as possible. But Gendron did not act in a vacuum. Is the far-right ecosystem hiding in plain sight in the US? And maybe not even hiding? I talked to Colin Clarke. He is a Senior Research Fellow at The Soufan Center and Director of Policy and Research at The Soufan Group, where his research focuses on domestic and transnational terrorism, international security, and geopolitics. We discussed the far-right movement in the US and beyond. But we also talked about guns and Tucker Carlson. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Should we call Russian President Vladimir Putin a war criminal? And what are the consequences of using such terminology? Are we witnessing genocide in Ukraine and does Putin talk about Ukrainians in genocidal terms? About this but also about much more, I talked to Paola Gaeta. She is a Professor of International Law at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva. This podcast was recorded a few weeks ago but I do believe it's still very timely. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

As many other journalists can attest, Maria Avdeeva is doing an excellent and brave job informing the world about what is going on in Kharkiv and Ukraine. I talked to her just before the Russian invasion, shortly after, and now again. Maria is a Research Director at the European Expert Association where she focuses on international security and combating hybrid threats and disinformations. "From the beginning of this stage of the Russian war, shelling continues every day," she said to me as we talked about life in Kharkiv under the shadow of war. But she believes that Russia will never get the city under control. This podcast was recorded on May 5th. Give Maria a follow on social media, support her, support Ukraine, and listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak 

Emmanuel Macron won the French presidential election as he received 58.5 percent of the vote in the run-off round against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen who was supported by 41.5 percent of voters. It was a hard-fought victory but the French president cannot sleep on laurels as the legislative election is swiftly approaching. What's Macron's vision for the next five years? Does he want to be the leader of the EU, and does he have a recipe for how to beat illiberals? I talked to Georgina Wright, a Senior Fellow, and Director of Institut Montaigne’s Europe Program. I also asked her if she thinks that Macron is arrogant. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

How healthy or unhealthy is Russian President Vladimir Putin? Why is the Kremlin bragging about the nuclear arsenal? What led to Bucha and the other massacres by Russian soldiers in Ukraine? And does Putin think everything is fine and how delusional is he? About this and much more, I talked to Andrei Soldatov, a Russian investigative journalist, co-founder, and editor of Agentura.ru, a watchdog of the Russian secret services’ activities. He is also a nonresident Senior Fellow with the Center for European Policy (CEPA). Listen to our conversation.

"Germany lost its compass and is going through a soul searching." This is how Jörg Forbrig, a Senior Fellow from the German Marshall Fund and director for Central and Eastern Europe, assess Berlin's reaction to the Russian war against Ukraine. But he also emphasizes that there are things Germans got right and those should be acknowledged. So is Russia's war against Ukraine also Germany's fault and what can Berlin do about it? Will Germany provide more weapons to Ukraine? Where is ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel? And how quickly could Germany cut off the import of Russian gas? Listen to our conversation.

What if the only limit Hungary's PM Viktor Orban has after the election is his own imagination? Orban's far-right populist Fidesz just clearly won the election that took place on March 3rd. The Prime Minister's party will have a constitutional majority in the next Hungarian parliament. Fidesz won 135 mandates in the parliament that has 199 seats. The united opposition lost badly, they only have 56 seats and 7 seats go to the extremist Our Homeland movement. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said that Hungary’s parliamentary elections were well-run but the electoral process was marred by the absence of a level playing field. And what does Hungarian political scientist from The Centre for Social Sciences Zoltán Gábor Szűcs think about the election? "Knowing what we know now, the united opposition did not have a real chance to win," he said to me. We also discussed the legitimacy of Orban's victory and if the Hungarian Prime Minister is a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Listen to our conversation.

Does war in Ukraine make Russian President Vladimir Putin nervous? "If there is anything human in him, he should be nervous." This is how a Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations Kadri Liik answered my question. We talked about why she thinks that this war looks like Putin's crusade, about the peace negotiations, and the role of Roman Abramovich, and if she is surprised by the performance of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine's armed forces. Listen to our conversation.

"We have to be extremely careful making preliminary judgments about what is really happening on the ground." This is what Franz-Stefan Gady said to me when I asked him if Russia gets anything militarily right when attacking Ukraine and how Ukrainian forces are doing. My guest is a Research Fellow for Cyber, Space and Future Conflict at The International Institute for Strategic Studies. What is his cautious forecast of the conflict? This podcast was recorded on March 21st. Listen to our conversation.

Christopher Chivvis is a Senior Fellow and Director of the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment. He most recently served as the U.S. national intelligence officer for Europe. "The course of the war is notoriously difficult to predict," he said to me when I asked him about what we could expect in regards to the Russian invasion against Ukraine. But we have tried to talk a bit about possible scenarios and also about some military analogies. This podcast was recorded on March 14th. Listen to our conversation.

How many people are arriving? What is their motivation? And could it help Ukraine which is under Russia's attack? All of these questions are related to the establishment of the International Legion of Territorial Defense. Trying to find the answers, I talked to Kacper Kerawek. He is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Research on Extremism (C-REX) at the University of Oslo. His book Brown-Red Cocktail? Extremist Foreign Fighters in the War in Ukraine will be published soon. We also talked about how the Foreign Legion could work, about some historical parallels, but also about the somewhat inevitable topic of the Azov Movement. Listen to our conversation.

Maria Avdeeva is a Research Director at the European Expert Association where she focuses on international security, cooperation of Ukraine with the EU and NATO, combating hybrid threats, and emerging security challenges. For years she was fighting Russia's disinformation war against Ukraine. From February 24th is her country under military invasion ordered by Vladimir Putin and Maria stays in Kharkiv, even as the city faces heavy Russian shelling. I talked to Maria on March 3rd afternoon and originally the recording was not for a podcast, which means the sound quality is a bit lower. But Maria stays in Kharkiv because she wants to inform the world about what's going on and I decided that I want to help her to spread the message. I talked to her also just before the war started. Stand with Ukraine and listen to our conversation.

The number of casualties is growing as Russia wages its war in Ukraine. Will President Vladimir Putin escalate even further and why does he talk about nuclear weapons? I talked to Mark Galeotti who is, as his Twitter bio says, an analyst of murky topics from Russian politics to global crime. Dr. Galeotti is the director of the consultancy firm Mayak Intelligence. He is also an Honorary Professor at UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies and a Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI. His books include We Need To Talk About Putin and most recently The Weaponisation of Everything. He is also a creator of the podcast In Moscow's Shadows. Why does Dr. Galeotti see some parallels between the Russian attack against Ukraine and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan? Listen to our conversation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is a man of dark emotions. But it's good that the West still engages with Moscow diplomatically. This is what Andrei Kolesnikov thinks. He is a Senior Fellow and the Chair of the Russian Domestic Politics and Political Institutions Program at the Carnegie Moscow Center. We talked about Putin's decision system. if he listens to somebody and what it all means for the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Do you want to know when was Putin honest and if he gave us a road map of his intentions? This podcast was recorded on February 17, just before the current round of a huge escalation. Listen to our conversation.

Maria Avdeeva lives in Kharkiv, just 40 kilometers from the Russian border. She is a Research Director at the European Expert Association where she focuses on international security, cooperation of Ukraine with the EU and NATO, combating hybrid threats, and emerging security challenges. I talked to her on February 13 when we debated extremely tense situation as the Russian troops are surrounding Ukraine. Are people in Kharkiv panicking or are they ready to fight? How does she assess the Western support for Ukraine and why does she think that even if Russia starts a large-scale invasion it won't be able to control Ukrainian cities? Listen to our conversation.

To use her own words, she a disaster researcher and scientist for fiction with irrepressible curiosity about our wonderfully weird universe. This is how Mika McKinnon introduces yourself. If you listen to my podcast regularly, and I hope you do, you know that I usually cover foreign policy events and trends. But not exclusively, so this is an episode about disasters. Mika McKinnon is a perfect guest. Experienced and funny. We talked about the current Hunga Tonga eruption, about volcanoes and related risks and about how you cannot, I repeat, cannot trigger Yellowstone eruption by using nukes. But also about her fascinating research into landslides on asteroids. And did I mention that she is also a sci-fi science consultant? Most recently for the movie Moonfall but also for cult classics Sharknado, Stargate or Star Trek. Listen to our conversation

According to current polls, less than 50 percent of Finns oppose the membership of their country in NATO. This is for the first time ever. Is it caused by Russian actions? I talked to Charly Salonius-Pasternak, a leading researcher in The Center on US Politics and Power at Finnish Institute of International Affairs. Does it mean that Finland will apply for NATO membership any time soon? And if it will, would it be a smooth and quick process? And what would Russia do? Listen to our conversation: Will Finland apply for NATO membership and how would it work?

What does French President Emmanuel Macron mean when he says that Europeans should work on proposals to build a new security and stability order in Europe? These words are somewhat similar to those the West hears from Kremlin. But is there any connection? I talked to Georgina Wright, a Senior Fellow and Director of Institut Montaigne’s Europe Program. We talked about Paris-Moscow relations, what will France do in case of Russian invasion against Ukraine but also about what kind of role can Russian issue play in the upcoming presidential election. Listen to our conversation: Russia crisis and European security: A view from France.

The world tennis number one Novak Djokovic was deported from Australia on January 16 and that means he is unable to defend his Australian Open title from the previous year. For now he also lost the chance to become the record Grand Slam holder. The Serbian tennis player is unvaccinated but he received a medical exemption to enter Australia. But in the end his visa was revoked twice and the federal court decided that he can be deported. What does it tell us about the immigration system in Australia? Were political calculations involved in Djokovic's case? This podcast was recorded on January 13,  just before the final decision related to subsequent deportation. I talked to Emily Foley, a PhD candidate at La Trobe University in Melbourne. Her research focuses on political parties and temporary migration. Does she think that Djokovic should support refugees in Australia? Listen to our conversation: Will Djokovic's case affect Australia's immigration system and politics?

The US-Russia bilateral meeting, NATO-Russia Council meeting and the OSCE talks. Can a flurry of diplomatic activities change something, or will Russia invade Ukraine? How much should we be concerned also about the possibility of bigger conflict between NATO and Russia? I talked to John Deni, Research Professor of Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational (JIIM) Security Studies at the U.S. Army War College's Strategic Studies Institute. Before joining the U.S. Army War College, Dr. Deni worked for 8 years as a political advisor for senior U.S. military commanders in Europe. He is also a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council. This podcast was recorded on January 12 and Dr. Deni's views do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Government. Listen to our conversation: How to approach negotiations with Putin's Russia?

Are you afraid of a civil war in America? "I don't fear civil war so much, as I fear more of the riots, more of the kind of violence we saw on the Capitol." This is what Professor Emerita of Communication at Saint Louis University Diana Carlin told me. We discussed what happened on January 6th, 2021 when a mob of supporters of at that time President Donald Trump attacked the United States Capitol, why was Trump responsible for this assault and why words do matter but it seems that the facts don't. According to the Program on Extremism at George Washington University the number of federal cases against individuals involved in the Capitol Hill Siege stands so far at more than 700. Professor Carlin lives in Kansas which is a red state. How does she assess the current Republican Party? And why does she say that some Americans want to see the US that probably never existed? Listen to our conversation: 1/6 anniversary: Is the GOP Trump's party? Polarization, divisions and radicalization in America.

Every forecast is tricky but we are trying anyway. Marc Julienne is Head of China Research within the Centre for Asian Studies of the French Institute of International relations (IFRI) and we discussed what to expect from communist regime in Beijing in 2022 especially on the international scene. What will be the main trends in the US-China and in the EU-China relations? How much is Dr. Julienne concerned about Cross-Strait relations? And what might China do if Russia decides to attack Ukraine? Listen to our conversation: What's next for China's foreign policy in 2022?

On December 20 Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová traveled to military base Ādaži in Latvia. I also had a chance to visit NATO Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) multinational battalion that consists of a framework nation Canada and of Albania, Czech Republic, Iceland, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. The Slovak contingent is currently made of 135 soldiers. On the occasion of President Čaputová's visit, I talked to Toms Rostoks, an Associate Professor in International Relations at University of Latvia and Senior Researcher at the Centre for Security and Strategic Research at the National Defence Academy. We discussed what led to the creation of the eFP concept and why Russia should blame itself that the Alliance deployed four battalions to Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. What does Dr. Rostoks think about Moscow's demands that the US and NATO should limit their activities on the Alliance Eastern Flank? Should we talk to Kremlin about this? And how much is he concerned about the possibility of the Russian invasion against Ukraine? Listen to our conversation: What is the role of NATO battalions on the Easter Flank? To die heroically?

"You are entering this Panthéon because although you were born American there is no one more French than you". This is what President Emmanuel Macron said when he paid a tribute to Josephine Baker as she was inducted into France's Panthéon in Paris at the end of November. She becomes the first Black woman and just the sixth woman being immortalized there. Baker was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1906. In 20s and 30s, she took over France and Europe with her dance and music performances. After World War II broke out, Baker began to help the French resistance. We still don't know that much about this period of her life, but Professor of French History at Cardiff University Hanna Diamond wants to change this. I talked to her as she is working on a book about Baker's wartime activities. But we have also discussed Baker's celebrity life and how she was involved in the civil rights movement in America. Baker died in 1975 but would she today support Black Lives Matter? Listen to our conversation Black woman, star, spy, activist: What do we know about Josephine Baker?

After 16 years it's clear that the German Chancellor can be also... a man. Christian Democrat Angela Merkel is gone and Germany and the world have some questions. What to expect from the traffic light coalition led by Olaf Scholz that consists of his SPD, Greens and liberal FDP? Will Scholz be able to manage his government and what kind of role he could play on the European and global scene? In September, just before the elections in Germany, I talked to Alexander Clarkson who is a Lecturer in German, European and International Studies at King's College London. And he is again my guest, as we have tried to forecast what will be the domestic focus of Scholz's government, or what kind of foreign policy will Chancellor and the Green Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock pursue. Listen to our conversation.

The aim of the UK COP26 Presidency was to keep alive the hope of limiting the rise in global temperature to 1.5C, and the Glasgow Climate Pact does just that. Combined with increased ambition and action from countries, 1.5C remains in sight, but it will only be achieved if every country delivers on what they have pledged. This is what the Glasgow Climate Pact from 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference that took place in November said. Before COP26, I had a chance to talk to political economist Alexander Gard-Murray, who is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Climate Solutions Lab and the Rhodes Center for International Economics and Finance at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. And he is again my guest. How does he assess COP26? Who were the heroes and villains of the COP26 according to him? And is humanity still on a self-destructive path? Listen to our conversation.

On November 24th, at least 27 people, including women and children, died trying to cross the English Channel in a small boat. A Kurdish woman from northern Iraq Maryam Nuri Mohamed Amin has become the first victim of this tragedy to be named. “Her story is the same as everyone else – she was looking for a better life," said one of her relatives for the Guardian. Was this tragedy preventable? Why the UK and France blame each other what does is have to do with Brexit? I talked to Andrew Geddes, a Professor of Migration Studies and the Director of the Migration Policy Centre at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute. Why does he think that too much focus on disrupting smugglers' networks might be counterproductive? Listen to our conversation.

Presidential and legislative elections in Libya should take place on December 24th. While we read headlines about candidates such as Saif Gaddafi, the problems run deeper. At least according to Jalel Harchaoui who is a Senior Fellow at the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime where he concentrates his work on North Africa. He emphasizes that the legal framework for the upcoming elections is weak and it may lead to various challenges, including violent clashes, that will undermine the concept of liberal democracy in Libya. We also talked about why people like Saif Gaddafi or Khalifa Haftar are running and why Europe seemingly doesn't care about the suffering of Libyans. Listen to our conversation.

On one hand this is a hybrid attack against the European Union from Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko with Russia's shadow looming over the situation. On the other hand, this is also a humanitarian crisis that shows that the EU asylum system hardly works. Thousands of migrants and refugees are stranded along the EU's borders with Belarus affecting Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Does it have a quick fix? I talked to Artur Gruszczak, Professor and Chair of National Security at the Faculty of International and Political Studies at Jagiellonian University in Krakow. And as he said some of his statements may sound controversial. Listen to our conversation.

Is this a make or break moment? As the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference better known as COP26 just started and will take place in Glasgow till November 12th, the question is if political leaders will use the event to effectively move forward when addressing the climate emergency. "This is a chance for all these countries to show leadership, this is the point where they have to stand up and be counted. I want more out of every country," COP26 President Alok Sharma said for Sky News. And according to political economist Alexander Gard-Murray this is a problem because we cannot be sure if politicians will step up. Gard-Murray is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Climate Solutions Lab and the Rhodes Center for International Economics and Finance at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. We debate what to expect from COP26, why he is hopeful but not confident and why he says that climate change delayism is perhaps even worse than climate change denial. And what does he think about Greta Thunberg? Listen to our conversation.

Bond. James Bond, Part 2. Yes, this is the second part of my conversation about James Bond's past, present and future with Martin D. Brown, Associate Professor of International History at Richmond University in London who is also a bondologist. The first part was published on October 19th. Bond was called a blunt instrument by his novelist father Ian Fleming. Would this blunt instrument be helpful in any international crisis? Dr. Brown answers this question and he adds that it is somehow weird that the UK government promotes Bond. Do you wanna know why? And do you wanna know what's perhaps next for the Bond franchise as Daniel Craig's era comes to end with the movie No Time To Die? Listen to our conversation. 

Bond. James Bond. If you listen to my podcast The Global Agora regularly, you already know that I discuss a variety of things with various experts. And it's no time to die, it's time to debate the James Bond franchise. I have to admit that I am a big fan of 007 and I am happy to welcome Martin D. Brown, Associate Professor of International History at Richmond University in London. And he is also a bondologist. This is the first part of our conversation. We have discussed Dr. Brown's favourite Bond movie, but also what might be the best Bond movie. I have asked him how he uses 007 in his teaching and he explained if James Bond belongs to the Cold War propaganda. And we have had a debate about the last Bond movie No Time to Die, which is also the last movie of Daniel Craig's era as James Bond. This episode of my podcast also contains a few big spoilers related to No Time to Die. If you haven't seen the movie yet, I strongly recommend skipping our discussion from 14:00 till 21:40. Otherwise listen to our conversation. The second part will be published on October 26th, Tuesday. The second part will be published on October 22nd, Friday.

Conservative MP Sir David Amess was murdered on October 15th. I tried to look at this case with the assistance of Shaun McDaid. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Division of Criminology, Politics and Sociology at the University of Huddersfield. Dr. McDaid's research primarily relates to political violence and its prevention and post-conflict transitions. We  talked more broadly about the threats and violence against politicians and also about the terrorisms and extremism in the postmodern world. Listen to our conversation.

,,The United States is very concerned by the People’s Republic of China’s provocative military activity near Taiwan, which is destabilising, risks miscalculations, and undermines regional peace and stability,” US state department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. What is behind the record number of Chinese military planes entering Taiwan's air defense identification zone? China watcher, editor of the China Story blog and co-author of the column China Neican 内参 column Adam Ni identifies three reasons. How much is he worried about a possible conflict in the Taiwan Strait? What kind of dynamics does he see in the Taipei-Beijing-Washington triangle? And where is Europe in all of this? Listen to our conversation.

Is Brexit going badly? According to a recent YouGov poll, 53 percent of Britons think so. But does it mean that they want to rejoin the EU? I talked to Martin Farr, a Senior Lecturer in Contemporary British History at Newcastle University. We also discussed how to put the current fuel crisis in the UK into a historical perspective and what's next for the Labour Party under the leadership of Keir Starmer. And why does Dr. Farr think that Starmer and Tory PM Boris Johnson are basically in the wrong jobs? Listen to our conversation.

A new poll conducted by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) shows that EU citizens view Germany as a trustworthy, pro-European power and Angela Merkel’s approach of searching for compromises between competing interests is a major source of Berlin’s positive image. But, of course, there is a but. Merkel is leaving politics. What is the most positive and the most negative aspect of her political legacy? Will her legacy last beyond the parliamentary election that takes place on September 26th? And could French President Emmanuel Macron be jealous of Merkel? I talked to Jana Puglierin, a Senior Policy Fellow at ECFR and the head of ECFR’s office in Berlin. Listen to our conversation.

We're gonna have to spend years looking at this to really work out what the hell just happened with CDU/CSU. This is how Alexander Clarkson, Lecturer in German, European and International Studies at King's College London, sees the situation just before the election in Germany. Looking at the polls, it seems Social Democrats might get between 25-27 percent of votes, while Christian Democrat will only get between 20-23 percent. Dr. Clarkson explains why this is happening and what surprises him most. And does he think that outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel regrets something after decades in politics? Listen to our conversation.

When was the last time the Labour Party in Norway didn't win the parliamentary election? In 1924. And the series of victories didn't stop on September 13. While the Labour Party won only 26,3 percent of votes, which is historically one of the weakest results, they will still have 48 seats in the parliament and everybody expects that they will establish a governing coalition with the Socialist Left and the Center Party. And that would mean that all five Nordic countries will be run by the center-left governments. But does it really matter? I talked to Nicholas Aylott, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Södertörn University. His main academic interest is in comparative European politics, with a focus on political parties. Listen to our conversation.

Is Pope Francis happy with his job? And even if he is, he is also 84, which means he is not the youngest. Are there any indications that he may resign? About Francis' papacy, I talked to John Allen, the editor of Crux, and a senior Vatican analyst for CNN. He has written eleven books on the Vatican and Catholic affairs. Pope Francis is just visiting Slovakia and his trip will last more than three days while he spent only a couple of hours in Hungary. Why? Listen to our conversation.

A day that changed the world. This is how 9/11, 2001 is often described. And it's true. The world looked in disbelief when planes piloted by Al-Qaeda terrorists hit The World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Almost 3 000 people died and subsequently it affected the fate of millions. Colin Clarke is a New Yorker and he admits that the 20th anniversary of Al-Qaeda attacks is very emotional for him. But Dr. Clarke is also a Senior Research Fellow at The Soufan Center and Director of Policy and Research at The Soufan Group, where his research focuses on domestic and transnational terrorism, international security, and geopolitics. His most recent book is called After the Caliphate: The Islamic State and the Future Terrorist Diaspora. That's why we discussed successes and failures of the war on terror, the role of Osama bin Laden, if 9/11 was preventable or a scenario when Al-Qaeda attacks didn't happen. Listen to our conversation.

What does Afghanistan withdrawal means for international politics? Is America still a superpower? And what is and could be the role of Europe in all of this? ,,There is no military power that can stand up to United States in a head to head competition. Having said that, if we measure power by your ability to get what you want, the United States is weaker because it doesn't know what it wants." This is a observation from Erik Jones, the new Director of the Robert Schuman Centre at the European University Institute. How relevant is these day his book Weary Policeman: American Power in an Age of Austerity that he coauthored in 2012? Listen to our conversation.

,,I think we, no matter what, need to be doing everything practically at our power to get people out of Afghanistan that want to leave the country". This is how Melissa Siegel, Professor of Migration Studies at Maastricht University and the United Nations University-MERIT, sees the current situation in Afghanistan. We also discussed what kind of coordinated approach the European Union and its partners should take to help the Afghans and how not to talk about migration. Did the West give millions of Afghans hope and now everything is probably lost? Our interview took place before the attack outside Kabul's airport on August 26th that killed at least 169 Afghans and at least 13 US service members. Listen to our conversation. The interview took place during the 8th EMN Training Seminar on Migration organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Slovakia that is the coordinator of the National Contact Point of the European Migration Network (EMN) in the Slovak Republic. The event was financed by the European Union.

Ukraine celebrates the 30 anniversary of its independence that was established on August 24, 1991. The country's sovereignty might be limited by the annexation of Crimea and  by the war Russia started in 2014. But the fact that Ukraine was able to keep its independence is not a small thing. This is according to Susan Stewart, Senior Fellow at Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) - The German Institute for International and Security Affairs. How does she compare Ukraine of 1991 to Ukraine of 2021? What does she think about The Crimean Platform, about a new Kyiv's diplomatic initiative? And what can Ukraine's government do in regards to the situation in Donbas? Listen to our conversation.

Russia has recently published a new National Security Strategy. What does it mean for the Russian Armed Forces? How were they changed by recent wars, reforms and modernization programs? How bad or good is the West in reading Russia's military intentions? I talked to Johan Norberg, Senior Military Analyst from the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI). What does he think about the risk of the West-Russia war? Listen to our conversation.

Will Tehran return to nuclear talks? What to expect from a new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi? How differently will US President Joe Biden deal with Iran compared to President Donald Trump but also to President Barack Obama? And how to react to Iranian provocations and attacks? I talked to Barbara Slavin, director of the Future of Iran Initiative, a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a lecturer in international affairs at George Washington University. What does she call Raisi? Do you wanna know? Listen to our conversation.

In July, The Foreign Affairs Council adopted a decision setting up an EU military training mission in Mozambique (EUTM Mozambique). The aim of the mission is to train and support the Mozambican armed forces in protecting the civilian population and restoring safety and security in the Cabo Delgado province. The mandate of the mission will initially last two years. During this period, its strategic objective will be to support the capacity building of the units of the Mozambican armed forces that will be part of a future Quick Reaction Force. How much is the conflict in Cabo Delgado becoming international? The Rwandan troops are already there, South Africa is sending 1 500 soldiers and Americans are training Mozambican marines. Since 2017, a jihadist insurgency in Cabo Delgado has killed more than 3 000 people and displaced more than 800 000. But a deployment of foreign troops is not without risks. What can go wrong? I talked to Emilia Columbo. She is a a senior associate to the The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Africa Program, and a senior security risk analyst at VoxCroft. Previously, she served as a senior analyst at the CIA, covering African and Latin American political-security issues. Listen to our conversation.

Japanese athletes are winning more medals and the country is getting more COVID-19 infected people. This is a current reality of the Tokyo Olympics. What is the media image of the Games in Japan? What do people think about the situation and will it affect the politics in the country as the parliamentary elections will take place in October? Political scientist Yuki Shiraito thinks that at this moment people do not have a clear opinion about the Games. Our conversation took place on Monday afternoon Japanese time so he was also able to update me in a real time about the successes of Japanese athletes but also about the increased number of the COVID-19 cases. Dr. Shiraito is Assistant Professor of Political Science, Faculty Associate of the Center for Political Studies, and Faculty Member of the Center for Japanese Studies at the University of Michigan. Listen to our conversation.

The Forbidden Stories consortium and Amnesty International had access to records of phone numbers selected by Israeli NSO Group clients in more than 50 countries since 2016. An unprecedented leak of more than 50,000 phone numbers shows how NSO's technology, commonly known as the Pegasus spyware, has been systematically abused for years. As The Forbidden Stories and Amnesty emphasize, potential targets include human rights defenders, academics, businesspeople, lawyers, doctors, union leaders, diplomats, politicians and several heads of states. Among them was also a Hungarian investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi. His outlet Direkt36 belongs to The Pegasus Project media partners. How did he find out that he was under surveillance? Did he change his life? Why is he not surprised that Viktor Orbán's government was using the Pegasus spyware? And what does he think about the responsibility of the Israeli government? Listen to our conversation.

It's the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attack by Norwegian far-right extremist Anders Breivik. On July 22, 2011 he detonated a car bomb outside the prime minister's office in Oslo. The explosion killed eight people. Brevik than drove to Utøya island where he shoot 69 people who gathered at a Labour Party youth camp. His victims were mostly kids. Breivik ended up behind bars, perhaps indefinitely. But what does he mean for the violent far right scene? How has this scene evolved? And can we expect another attack, similar to Breviks's? I talked to Professor Matthew Feldman, Director of the Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right. Listen to our conversation.

The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) just came out with a report Cyber Capabilities and National Power: A Net Assessment. The countries covered in this report are the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Israel, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. The IISS has divided the 15 states into three tiers of cyber power. But taking into account the methodology of the report, only in the US merits inclusion into the first tier. But how does America behave in cyberspace? Does it prefer cooperation with allies or perhaps not that much? And what about China and Russia? I had a chance to talk about the report and related topics with Greg Austin who leads the Cyber, Space and Future Conflict Programme at the IISS. Do you want to know what his biggest concern is regarding what the big powers are doing in cyberspace? Listen to our conversation.

Evil reigns in Poland and we want to fight it. That's reason enough, you don't need any other justification. Those are the words of Donald Tusk aimed at the ruling Law and Justice Party. Polish ex- Prime Minister and former President of the European Council will give up his role as president of the European People's Party to be able to fully engage in Polish affairs and to run the opposition Civic Platform party. But how much does Tusk still understand the Polish politics? What can he bring into a political arena except a heavy criticism of the Law and Justice? Just attacking Law and Justice might not be enough for Tusk to be successful. That's what Professor of Politics and Contemporary European Studies at the University of Sussex Aleks Szczerbiak thinks. He even said that the Law and Justice and its leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski are perhaps pleased with Tusk being back. Listen to our conversation.

The Chinese Communist Party was founded in July 1921. What is the brightest and what about the darkest hour of the CPP, and why? Is the party ashamed of something? And how long will Xi Jinping rule the Party and the country? About the CCP’s past, present and future, I talked to Rory Truex. He is an Assistant Professor in Princeton's Department of Politics and School of Public and International Affairs and the author of the book Making Autocracy Work: Representation and Responsiveness in Modern China. Why does he compare China's history to a pendulum? And what does he think about the Cold War with Beijing? Listen to our conversation.

Can Spain's divisions be settled? "It's best for Catalonia and for Spain and it's in accord with the Spanish Constitution. The government will work for understanding and not for confrontation." This is what Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez said when he announced a pardon for nine Catalan leaders serving prison sentences for their roles in Catalonia's 2017 independence referendum. But what does this move mean for Catalan and Spanish politics? I talked to Alejandro Quiroga, a research professor at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Listen to our conversation.

We, the Heads of State and Government of the 30 NATO Allies, have gathered in Brussels to reaffirm our unity, solidarity, and cohesion, and to open a new chapter in transatlantic relations, at a time when the security environment we face is increasingly complex. This is how the communiqué from the NATO summit that took place on June 14th starts. The document should direct the Alliance towards an updated Strategic Concept. NATO acknowledges that it faces  multifaceted threats, systemic competition from assertive and authoritarian powers,  as well as growing security challenges to its countries and its citizens from all strategic directions. Russia, China, cyber, hybrid, and other asymmetric threats, rapid advances in the space domain or the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction are mentioned in the communiqué. Climate change is called a threat multiplier that impacts Alliance security. Why is NATO talking about all those challenges? And what steps will the Alliance take to address them? I talked to Dr. Benedetta Berti, a foreign policy and security researcher, analyst, consultant, author and lecturer. She serves as Head of Policy Planning in the Office of the Secretary General at NATO. Our discussion took place at GLOBSEC 2021 conference in Bratislava. Listen to our conversation.

Speculations about his death were hugely exaggerated in the past, but it seems that the leader of Nigerian terrorist group Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau is  really dead. What does it mean for the organization that it's known for its brutality? Will the possible collapse of Boko Haram strengthen a rival group The Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP)? And BTW, if Shekau is finally dead, what about the persistent rumors that the leader of Al-Qaeda Ayman al-Zawahiri has also died? I have tried to unwrap those issues when talking to Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a founder and chief executive officer of Valens Global and the author of Bin Laden's Legacy, the book I can only recommend. Listen to our conversation.

American President Joe Biden will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their summit takes place in Geneva on June 16. But does this meeting make any sense? Will it make any difference? Should it make any difference? And what to expect from Biden and from Putin? My questions were answered by Tom Nichols, U.S. Naval War College professor, and an adjunct at the U.S. Air Force School of Strategic Force Studies and the Harvard Extension School. He is also a columnist for USA Today, a contributing writer at The Atlantic, and an author of the book The Death of Expertise and of the incoming book Our Own Worst Enemy. What would be his advice for Biden before the summit? Listen to our conversation.

How big is the shadow of the former US President Donald Trump over NATO? What can the Alliance expect from Joe Biden, his successor in the White House? What are the main threats and how should the transatlantic organization deal with Russia, China or climate change? The NATO summit takes place in Brussel on June 14 and the leaders of member states will discuss the future of the Alliance and the NATO 2030 initiative. I also have had this debate. My guest is former Danish Prime Minister and, of course, former Secretary General of NATO Anders Fogh Rasmussen. He led the Alliance from 2009 till 2014 and he is a founder and chairman of Rasmussen Global. Listen to our conversation.

How successful is the Israeli air defense system Iron Dome? How does this military technology work? What are the limitations of the Iron Dome? And how much does the system create an atmosphere of false safety and what about related political implications? I have tried to find some answers to those questions with Franz-Stefan Gady. He is a Research Fellow for cyber, space and future conflict at The International Institute for Strategic Studies. Listen to our conversation.

This is a special episode. As you know The Global Agora focuses on politics, international affairs and security. But I have many interests and I decided to create a podcast about the worldwide phenomenon called Friends. Yes, Friends, the series. It is of course influenced by the recent Friends: Reunion special. If you have not watched it already, my podcast may contain some mild spoilers. I am not a fanatical fan of Friends, I cannot repeat all the greatest one-liners, but the show made me laugh many, many times. And it also made me cry. A few times. About the cultural and societal impact of Friends, I talked to Professor Robert Thompson, founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture and a Trustee Professor of Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University. And there will also be some gossip. :-) Listen to our conversation.

The parliamentary elections in Moldova will take place in less than two months but compared to previous votes this time something is different. What is it? Former Foreign Minister of Moldova Nicu Popescu will explain. He is the director of the Wider Europe programme at the European Council on Foreign Relations and he will also explain why and how the European Union should strengthen the security cooperation with its eastern neighbors. Listen to our conversation.

Does Belarusan dictator Alexander Lukashenko have any strategy or his only focus is to survive no matter what? Why was he willing to dramatically kidnap journalist Raman Pratasevich knowing that he had to expect at least some reaction from the West? And about Russia's reaction? I talked to Alena Kudzko, Director of the GLOBSEC Policy Institute in Bratislava. She is from Belarus and she explains what people in the country think about the hijacking of the Ryanair plane. Listen to our conversation.

On February 1st, the Myanmar military took over the country. It was a surprise move from the Tatmadaw led by general Min Aung Hlaing. The military suspended the civilian government and de facto leader of the country and Nobel Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi was imprisoned. The initial reaction of the public was muted but soon the demonstrations began. Junta has reacted with brutality, murders and torture. According to the right groups, more than 800 people have been killed so far. What's next for Myanmar? How strong is the regime? Will the situation deteriorate even further? I talked to Hunter Marston. He is a PhD Candidate at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at Australian National University, and Non-Resident Fellow at Pacific Forum. Listen to our conversation.

According to the European Commission the Next Generation EU instrument is more than a recovery plan. It is a once in a lifetime chance to emerge stronger from the pandemic, transform our economies, and create opportunities and jobs for the Europe where we want to live. But is it really? How might the Next Generation EU fund change and strengthen the EU? And is European Union doing enough in fighting the coronacrisis in comparison to the US? I talked to Miguel Otero Iglesias about those issues. He is a Senior Analyst in International Political Economy at Elcano Royal Institute and professor at IE School of International Relations in Spain. Listen to our conversation.

Hello and welcome to another episode of my podcast The Global Agora. My name is Andrej Matišák, and I work as the deputy head of foreign desk in Slovak daily Pravda. With more than 3.3 million deaths attributed to COVID-19, the coronavirus pandemic is one of the deadliest in history. While the vaccines have emerged as a safe and effective tool against the disease, we can also say that COVID-19 is still trying to penetrate our defenses. We have seen various mutations of the coronavirus, the current focus is on the variant B.1.617 that was identified in India. What does it mean for the pandemic? How much should we be worried? I talked to Martin Michaelis, Professor of Molecular Medicine at the University of Kent. Listen to our conversation.

Hello and welcome to another episode of my podcast The Global Agora. My name is Andrej Matišák, and I work as the deputy head of foreign desk in Slovak daily Pravda. The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack hit critical US energy infrastructure. According to BBC News, the pipeline carries 2.5 million barrels a day, means 45% of the East Coast's supply of diesel, petrol and jet fuel. How much is this the sign of the things that will come? American President Joe Biden said that the attack struck the jugular of America’s pipeline system. What do we know about DarkSide, the group behind the attack? Is there any connection to Russian state? I talked to Dr. Tim Stevens. He is a Senior Lecturer in Global Security and the head of the King's Cyber Security Research Group at King's  College, London. Listen to our conversation.

Hello and welcome to another episode of my podcast The Global Agora. My name is Andrej Matišák, and I work as the deputy head of foreign desk in Slovak daily Pravda. The White House confirmed that it completed its policy review on North Korea and said that it will use a calibrated approach towards Kim Jong-un's regime. But what does it mean for Joe Biden's presidency? And what kind of approach will Pyongyang use? I talked to Soo Kim about those issues. She is a policy analyst at the RAND Corporation. Her research interests include the Korean Peninsula, Indo-Pacific strategy, decision making, propaganda, and the intelligence community. She served as an analyst in the CIA. Does she think that Kim Jong-un is totally in control? And what about his sister Kim Yo-jong? Listen to our conversation.

Hello and welcome to another episode of my podcast The Global Agora. My name is Andrej Matišák, and I work as the deputy head of foreign desk in Slovak daily Pravda. A big election day just took place in the United Kingdom. We have seen local elections for 145 English local councils, election to the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Parliament and some other election races such as mayoral election in London. What does it mean for the future of the UK? Did Scotland move towards another independence referendum? And are the Tory leader and British PM Boris Johnson and the Labour leader Keir Starmer satisfied or unsatisfied with the results? I talked to Robin Pettitt. He is a Senior Lecturer of comparative politics at Kingston University and an expert in the internal life of political parties.

Hello and welcome to another episode of my podcast The Global Agora. My name is Andrej Matišák, and I work as the deputy head of foreign desk in Slovak daily Pravda. This new episode is a bit longer than usual but I had a very interesting conversation about what might be next for Afghanistan and Taliban after the withdrawal of foreign troops. President Joe Biden's decision is criticized by many, including Afghans. It's easy to understand those concerns. So I talked to Vanda Felbab-Brown. She is a senior fellow in the Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology in the Foreign Policy program at Brookings Institution, and she is the director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors. Let's find out what she thinks about the future of Afghanistan, about the future of the country she visited many times.

This time, my guest is a very well known political commentator David Frum. He is a staff writer at The Atlantic and from 2001 to 2002, he was a speechwriter for Republican President George W. Bush and he is the author of ten books, most recently Trumpocalypse: Restoring American Democracy. Check also his website davidfrum.com. It's 100 days of Joe Biden's Presidency. What went right and what wrong for the Democrat in the White House? What about the GOP? And what advice would David Frum give to President Biden? Listen to our conversation.

Hello and welcome to the third episode of my podcast The Global Agora. My name is Andrej Matišák, and I work as the deputy head of foreign desk in Slovak daily Pravda. The election in Germany will take place on September 26 and the world will be watching who will succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel. Is the Chairman of CDU Armin Laschet a strong contender? Or will Annalena Baerbock replace Merkel and Germany will have the first Green Chancellor? And should the world be nervous about those changes? I talked to Eric Langenbacher, Teaching Professor in the Department of Government, Georgetown University. He is also a Senior Fellow at the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS) in Washington.

Hello and welcome to the second episode of my podcast The Global Agora. My name is Andrej Matišák, and I work as the deputy head of foreign desk in Slovak daily Pravda. What's next for the US-Central Europe relations with the Biden's administration? When will American President visit the region? Will Joe Biden go to Poland? Warsaw is for the US the most important security partner in the region. Or will Biden visit Slovakia? I talked to Jörg Forbrig, Senior Fellow and Director for Central and Eastern Europe at the German Marshall Fund.

Hello and welcome to the first episode of my new podcast the Global Agora. My name is Andrej Matišák, and I work as the deputy head of foreign desk in Slovak daily Pravda. My guest is Mark Galeotti. He is, as his Twitter bio says, an analyst of murky topics from Russian politics to global crime and his podcast is called in Moscow's shadows. Mark is an author of a number of books about Russia. Most recently We need to talk about Putin and A Short History of Russia. And Russia is also again in the news. Czech government decided to expel 18 Russian diplomats as it concluded that Russian military agents were involved in an ammunition depot explosion in Czechia in 2014. Two Czech civilians were killed at that time. Czechia is also searching for the GRU operatives Alexander Mishkin and Anatoliy Chepiga who were also involved in the Skripals poisoning.