In this episode, Alexandra and Nina discuss the funeral of Alexei Navalny, Putin's state-of-the-nation address and the latest attack on Odesa in Ukraine. They walk you through relatively positive developments related to recent Serbian elections and reflect on meetings between Hungarian, Slovak and Russian foreign ministers. Later, Alexandra interviews Miruna Butnaru-Troncotă, a Bucharest-based writer and researcher specializing in EU foreign and security policy. They discuss the "accelerated" EU accession process for Ukraine and Moldova, its effects on integration prospects for the long-waiting Western Balkan countries, and how Romania does - and can further - play a constructive role in supporting Western Balkan EU membership. In our patron-only bonus content, Alexandra speaks more with Miruna on domestic politics in Romania, predictions for and implications of the "super election" year in the country, and the unique features of the Romanian far-right. Listen to the exclusive bonus questions here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-170-on-99920668 Read Miruna’s piece from the latest issue of New Eastern Europe: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2024/02/07/what-role-can-romania-play-in-facilitating-western-balkan-integration/ Support us! Become a patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope