The Eastern Front AEI Podcasts

On May 15th, Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico was shot five times in an attempted assassination and, as of this recording, remains in critical condition. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia draw on Dalibor's local expertise to unpack the breaking news and its developments. What is Fico's political background and why is he such a polarizing figure? What implications does the assassination attempt have for the state of liberal democracy and political polarization in Slovakia? What impact will this have on the upcoming European Union elections?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Read Dalibor’s analysis of Robert Fico's attempted assassination here.

As Ukraine awaits US aid, it is struggling to hold back a Russian offensive that has claimed control over several settlements in Eastern Ukraine. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome George Barros, Russia Team and Geospatial Intelligence Team lead at the Institute for the Study of War, to discuss the current state of the battlefield in Ukraine. Which regions are Russian troops planning on targeting in the coming months? What weapons and policies could make a difference on the battlefield for Ukraine? What does China stand to gain from Russian advances in Ukraine?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. 

A recent terror attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall by ISIS-K has tested Russia’s regional relations and tolerance for torture at home. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Paul Goble, distinguished senior fellow at the Jamestown Foundation. What effect, if any, has the March attacks had on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s strategic calculus? How is Russia’s promotion of “traditional values” perceived in former Soviet Republics, particularly in Central Asia? What is the significance behind the Russian Orthodox church’s political alignment with the Putin regime?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. 

On April 25th, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia hosted a special live show of The Eastern Front with Giga Bokeria, chairman of European Georgia, the pro-European, pro-Western opposition in Georgia. Together, they discuss the history of Russian incursions into Georgia and the greater security risks Russia poses to Europe. Bokeria makes the case for Georgian and Ukrainian membership into NATO and emphasizes the importance of Ukrainian victory in ensuring peace on the continent. The live show concludes with a Q&A segment with the audience.
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front’s biweekly newsletter here. Follow us on Twitter here. View European Georgia's documentary, "Forgotten Victims–Before Bucha Was Abkhazia," here.

On Wednesday night, after months of languishing in the House, President Joe Biden signed into law an aid package authorizing $60.8 billion to Ukraine. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia break down the bill and consider its implications for the future trajectory of the war. What is the significance of the bill making it past far-right opposition in the House? Does the aid package go far enough to ensure Ukrainian victory? Could using frozen Russian assets help fund the war effort?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Read Dalibor's piece for the New York Post here.

With continued uncertainty over the trajectory of the war and aid to Ukraine, European nations have begun to consider the need for a more aggressive deterrence posture. On this episode of The Eastern Front, Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia welcome Artur Kacprzyk, analyst in the International Security Programme at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, to discuss how NATO can capitalize on its nuclear deterrent. What does the current state of NATO's nuclear deterrence look like and how effective has it been? How are different Eastern European countries thinking about nuclear deterrence? What changes should be made to nuclear policy at the NATO summit this summer?
Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front‘s bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on X here. Read Dalibor's piece It’s Time to Give Poland Nuclear Weapons here.