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PODCAST

The Eastern Front

Ensuring the balance of power in Europe has, since the inception of our republic, been a core security interest for the US. Today, and for the entire post-Cold War period, the challenges to the European peace have emerged along the line running roughly from the Baltic to the Black Sea. This is what we call the Eastern Front. Our goal in this podcast is to better inform the American people about what’s going on there. Join us, Iulia Joja and Dalibor Rohac every week on in our discussions on what’s

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All Episodes

40:13

Starlink in the Age of Cyber Warfare (with Jason...

The Eastern Front ·

2023/09/22

Since the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine has relied on Starlink—the internet technology company created by Elon Musk—to keep its communication networks alive and defend itself against Russian attacks. Yet, as the dominant power in the satellite internet space, Musk is in a unique position to decide the extent of Starlink's role in the war. Out of an alleged fear of escalating tensions with Russia, Musk has since taken measures to limit the use of Starlink in Ukraine for offensive operations,

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41:58

Ukraine on Capitol Hill (with Scott Cullinane)

The Eastern Front ·

2023/09/08

There is a growing sense on some corners of Capitol Hill that the US has been unilaterally supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression. And with the Biden administration having failed to explain to the American public why Ukraine matters to the US, many members of Congress are urging the US to roll back its aid packages. On this week's episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Scott Cullinane, senior government relations advisor at Razom for Ukraine, an organization

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41:54

Who Are The Tatars? (with Rim Gilfanov)

The Eastern Front ·

2023/09/06

The recent appointment of Rustem Umerov, a Crimean Tatar, as Ukraine's new defense minister has brought to the fore the role of Tatars in Ukraine's fight against Russia. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Rim Gilfanov, director of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Tatar Bakhshir service, to shed light on Tatars: Where do they come from and what is the history of their relationship to Russia? To what extent can we think of Tatars as a coherent group with a

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34:58

Prigozhin's Out. Now What?

The Eastern Front ·

2023/08/28

On the evening of August 23rd, news broke of Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin's death after Russian aviation officials listed him as a member on a flight that suspiciously crashed north of Moscow. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia convene to discuss what Prigozhin's death could mean for the Wagner group's legitimacy, the stability of Putin's regime, and the fate of the Russia-Ukraine War. Are the Russians able to achieve anything in Ukraine without Wagner? Does

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42:11

Perception vs. Reality: How is the Ukrainian...

The Eastern Front ·

2023/08/22

Since Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in early June, policymakers and analysts have criticized the Ukrainian military for underperforming. This past week, the Washington Post published an assessment by the US intelligence community that claimed Ukraine's counteroffensive wouldn't fulfill its principal objectives, despite "tens of billions of dollars" of Western equipment. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle and Iulia speak with Mason Clark, senior analyst and Russia team lead at the

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37:18

How Open-Source Intelligence is Shaping the...

The Eastern Front ·

2023/08/18

Brady Africk was nearly a year into his role as a media relations associate at AEI when Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine took place. Feeling struck by the wrongness of the war, as he puts it on the podcast, he decided to harness his interest in the intersection between foreign policy and tech by publishing satellite imagery that tracked Russia's activities. Over a year later, Africk's maps are now a monumental asset to the war, having been featured in major news outlets and used by both

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39:19

Round Up: Where Are We Now and Where Do We Go From Here?

The Eastern Front ·

2023/08/09

On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia offer their take on events from the last several weeks and predict what lays ahead for Ukraine. They discuss Russia's escalating attacks on Ukraine's grain industry and what it suggests about President Vladimir Putin's new offensive strategy, China's growing stake in the conflict, how upcoming elections in Poland and Slovakia might impact the EU's support for Ukraine, and whether this war is ultimately about preserving the status quo

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52:05

Let's Talk Black Sea Security, Pt. II (with Adm....

The Eastern Front ·

2023/08/03

In the second of The Eastern Front's two-part series on Black Sea security, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Admiral James Foggo (ret.), dean for the Center for Maritime Strategy, about strategies for enhancing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea. Are we currently experiencing a Russian blockade of the Black Sea? How should the US respond to Russian actions in order to deter future altercations, particularly against commercial ships? What should a NATO presence in the Black Sea look like

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38:09

Let's Talk Black Sea Security, Pt. I (with Thea...

The Eastern Front ·

2023/07/24

Russia is facing global criticism for its recent attacks on Ukrainian ports on the Danube river and the decision to pull out of a July 2022 UN-brokered deal that enabled Ukrainian grain to be exported through the Black Sea. Immediately following the pullout, Russian authorities warned that any vessel traveling to Ukraine would be considered an enemy combatant. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Thea Dunlevie, senior analyst at the Center for Maritime

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45:48

From Silicon Valley to Kyiv: How a Former Tech...

The Eastern Front ·

2023/07/18

In February 2022, Andrey Liscovich, a Ukrainian native, was living a peaceful life in San Francisco, working on a new startup after graduating with his PhD from Harvard University and spending three years as the CEO of Uber Works. The war in Ukraine would change all of that. After witnessing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's resistance in the wake of Russia's invasion, Liscovich felt compelled to help his country. Drawing on his expertise, he co-founded the Ukraine Defense Fund, a supply

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39:28

Belarus in the Post-Mutiny Fiasco: Collateral Damage...

The Eastern Front ·

2023/07/13

Of all the possible outcomes of Prigozhin's mutiny, most experts probably didn't expect to see Belarus figure itself so prominently in the narrative. Indeed, as Belarusian president Aleksandr Lukashenko agreed to allow both Progizhin and Wagner forces into the country, questions arose about the fate of the Belarusian-Russian connection. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia are joined by Alexander Lukashuk, Reagan fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy and former

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43:36

What's Up With Europe's Defense Industry? (with Radek...

The Eastern Front ·

2023/07/11

In his recent piece for Foreign Affairs, Radek Sikorski, Polish Member of the European Parliament, argued that Europe was "all bark and no bite." Despite its many attempts to get serious about its security, the EU nation states lack a unified defense policy, all act in defense of their own national interests, and would eventually lose its status as a superpower. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia invite Sikorski to share more of his thoughts on the EU's defense

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43:37

The EU-Moldova-Russia Triangle (with Siegfried Muresan)

The Eastern Front ·

2023/07/06

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Moldova has attempted to forge closer ties with its Western neighbors. Geographically located between the EU and Ukraine, however, Russian President Vladimir Putin hasn't given up on projecting power in the former Soviet republic. To discuss Moldova's shifting relationship with the EU and Russia, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Siegfriend Muresan, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Romania and vice chairman of the European People's Party. What are

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44:15

Rethinking Baltic Security (with Minna Alander)

The Eastern Front ·

2023/06/30

Since Finland joined NATO in April, many defense analysts have begun referring to the Baltic Sea as "NATO Lake." What might be the long-term effects of NATO's gradual encirclement of this strategic region? Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia are joined by Minna Alander, research fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, to discuss the security landscape of the Nordic region since Finland's NATO membership and its implications for the Baltic and Arctic regions. Alander also reviews Germany's

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43:36

We Can't Forget About Georgia (with Teona Akubardia)

The Eastern Front ·

2023/06/28

The people of Georgia are all too familiar with Russian occupation. In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia in a brutal provocation that left tens of thousands displaced and persecuted. By the end of the five-day conflict, Russia gained control of two breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine is a stark reminder to Georgians of what could potentially happen to them (yet again) if Putin is successful. To learn more about Georgia's perspective on the war, Giselle,

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42:30

The 36 Hour Rebellion: What the Hell Just Happened in...

The Eastern Front ·

2023/06/26

On Friday morning, Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group, released a 30-minute video challenging Russian President Vladimir Putin's motives for invading Ukraine and accusing the Russian Ministry of Defense of ordering airstrikes on Wagner fighters. Less than 24 hours later, Wagner forces had taken Rostov-on-Don and were pushing north toward Moscow in an armed rebellion. What seemed like the beginning of the end for the Kremlin was short-lived; by Saturday evening, Prigozhin announced

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35:48

Rethinking War and Power: What We're Getting Wrong...

The Eastern Front ·

2023/06/23

With the Ukrainian counteroffensive nearly two weeks in, many optimistic observers have been quick to call it a failure. To discuss this mass misunderstanding—and misunderstandings around modern warfare writ-large—Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Phillips O'Brien, American historian and professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland. To what extent did Ukraine's unprecedented success during the February 2022 battle of Kharkiv warp public perception about how wars are

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40:50

What About Crimea? (with Elina Beketova)

The Eastern Front ·

2023/06/21

It's been nine years since Russian forces invaded and annexed the Crimean Peninsula. With the likelihood of Russia losing its 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine looking ever more promising, is the end of Crimea's occupation finally near? On this week's episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia speak with Elina Beketova, a democracy fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), about the fate of the occupied territories. Does the Ukrainian government have a plan for

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56:16

The Eastern Front Live Show with AEI's Summer Honors...

The Eastern Front ·

2023/06/14

On June 7th, Giselle and Dalibor hosted a special live show of The Eastern Front for the American Enterprise Institute's Summer Honors Program. They share the genesis of the podcast and the broader cultural and political approach to their analyses, discuss their predictions for what a post-war Ukraine might look like, and argue the advantages of a strong US partnership with Ukraine. The live show concludes with a Q&A segment with audience members.Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front's

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30:23

Playing Catch Up: GLOBSEC Forum, European Political...

The Eastern Front ·

2023/06/07

On this week's episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia wrap up some of the most important events from the eastern flank and look ahead at the next few weeks as the Ukrainian counteroffensive begins to pick up steam. Dalibor fills his co-hosts in on his experience at this year's GLOBSEC Forum, including what it reveals about the Western consensus around a clear path towards Ukraine's NATO membership. The co-hosts also discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's speech at the

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