The Global Agora (Andrej Matisak)

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.

There is support in the US for Ukraine but the Republicans have decided that Americans are more concerned about the cost and the Biden administration, I must say, has been terrible in explaining why Ukraine is important. This is what Steffen Schmidt also known as Dr. Politics told me when we discussed upcoming Republican presidential primaries and also the foreign policy effects on presidential elections. He is a Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Iowa State University, which means we, of course, talked about the Iowa caucuses that will be held in one month, on January 15th. So what to expect from the Republican primaries? Will Donald Trump easily confirm his frontrunner status or can Ron DeSantis or Nikki Haley still hope? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

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.

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.

Toms Rostoks is a Director at the Centre for Security and Strategic Research at the National Defence Academy of Latvia and an Associate Professor at the University of Latvia. We tried to assess what happened in two years of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, to forecast what might be next but we also talked about the scenario that at least some Western troops will help Kyiv. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

NATO is a success story, but as Alliance turns 75 can it also face demise? Over seven decades, what is the brightest hour, and what about the most problematic moment of NATO? And is Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk right when he says Europe could be in the pre-war era as Russia continues with its aggression against Ukraine? I talked to John Deni, a 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, John worked for 8 years as a political advisor for senior American military commanders in Europe, but his views do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Government. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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: The 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. And if you 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.

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

Could Slovak politics have been "TikTok-ed" in a similar way to Romania, where the far-right candidate Calin Georgescu won the first round of the presidential election? Is Slovak PM Robert Fico pro-Russian? And why is his government relatively fragile only one year into its rule? My podcast guests usually discuss global events, but if you're interested in learning more about my country, Slovakia, this is the episode for you. I spoke with Slovak political scientist Pavol Baboš from the Department of Sociology at Comenius University in Bratislava. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

The Good Friday Agreement that ended the conflict in Northern Ireland turned 25 on April 10th. What were the main factors that contributed to its success? I talked to Shaun Mcdaid, a Senior Lecturer in Politics from the Department of Behavioural and Social Sciences at Huddersfield University. We discussed the history of the Troubles, terrorists from the Irish Republican Army, and their international connections including the Soviet one, but also what's next for Northern Ireland amid Brexit. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ 

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.

Donald Trump's era is here. What might he do about Ukraine? Is Russian leader Vladimir Putin happy about him, and what about the US allies? Charly Salonius-Pasterak, a leading researcher at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, has co-authored a report titled Four Lenses for Observing the Second Trump Administration: Reflecting Uncertainty. This presented a great opportunity to discuss what, aside from unpredictability, we might expect from the second Trump administration in terms of foreign policy. Is this the end of the world as we know it? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

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.

I don't think I need to introduce Mark Galeotti whose new book Downfall: Prigozhin, Putin, and the New Fight for the Future of Russia was just published and he is also a fellow podcaster so listen to his show In Moscow's Shadows. Mark is the director of the consultancy firm Mayak Intelligence, an Honorary Professor at UCL School of Slavonic & East European Studies, and a Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI. It's great to have him back on my podcast, so we discussed what kind of effect the Kursk incursion has on Vladimir Putin's regime, what's next or the Russian war against Ukraine, and also how to talk to Russians these days. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

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.

The analysis shows that Russia is escalating its efforts to destabilize European countries. While previous operations mainly focused on disinformation and cyberattacks, recent activities demonstrate a shift towards hybrid warfare, including physical sabotage and political assassinations. Another striking pattern is the shift in Russian operations towards Western Europe. These are the main findings of the report titled Russian sabotage operations in Europe since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Bart Schuurman, a Professor of Terrorism and Political Violence at Leiden University, is the lead author of the study. We discussed not only what is happening, but also how Europe should or could respond to the rising number of Russian sabotage operations. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

If this was a sort of deathmatch between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, the result is very clear now. Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash on August 23rd. But did Putin specifically order the killing of Prigozhin? I talked to political analyst Anton Barbashin who is an editorial director of Riddle, which is a website about Russia I can only recommend. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin is naming and shaming everybody. Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov is offering his services but it's not clear if he really has something to offer. And the Russian President Vladimir Putin is... Is doing exactly what? About Prigozhin, Kadyrov, and Putin, I talked to political analyst Anton Barbashin who is an editorial director of Riddle, which is a website about Russia I can only recommend. So is Putin in control? What may happen to Prigozhin and Kadyrov if the Russian President falls? And how much are the people of Putin's regime nervous about the impending Ukrainian offensive. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠⁠

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.

The hardest but also most inspiring year. Heading into the new year with hope. This is what Maria Avdeeva, a Ukrainian security expert, wrote on Bluesky just before the New Year.  Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she has been covering what's happening in her country. And she also has time to talk to me, so this is another round of our conversation. This time, we discussed what gives her hope for the future and what her biggest concerns are for 2025. Naturally, this led us to debate Donald Trump and his presidency. But we also discussed Slovak PM Robert Fico's visit to Moscow and Joe Biden's legacy regarding Ukraine. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

You gotta fight for your right to party! The famous Beastie Boys song might become a new political slogan of Finland's Social Democrat PM Sanna Marin. After the video of her partying was leaked, she faced criticism, she took a drug test and apologized. But is this episode even newsworthy? If Marin is a party girl, so what? Is she facing double standards from critics? Would they be probably silent if this would be a video of a man in politics? I talked to Emilia Palonen, a Senior Lecturer from the Department of Political and Economic Studies at the University of Helsinki. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

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.

Does Hungary's PM Viktor Orbán want to take over the European Council? Charles Michel, the current President of the European Council, wants to run in June's EU elections, so there is a possibility that Orbán can replace him as Hungary starts its Presidency of the Council of the EU on July 1st. So what could be Orban's plan and how to deal with his regime? I talked to Daniel Hegedüs. He is a German Marshall Fund Senior Fellow focused on Central Europe and he extensively covers populism and democratic backsliding in Central and Eastern Europe. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Does Russia want far-right Calin Georgescu to become president of Romania? "My guess is Russia is satisfied even with the current level of disarray in Romania," Oana Popescu-Zamfir told me. She is the director of the GlobalFocus Center and we discussed the current political situation in her country between the parliamentary elections and the second round of the presidential race. Our debate took place on December 5th, afternoon. So, ahead of the decision by the Romanian Constitutional Court to annul the result of the first round of the presidential elections. The second round was originally planned for December 8th. How does Oana assess Georgescu's rise? What would it mean if he wins? Will he try to become a part of the Ukraine skeptic/pro-Russian bloc within NATO and the EU? And has Romania been TikToked? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

The current protests in China against the zero covid policy will be squashed. This is what I think, but more importantly, this is also what Lawrence C. Reardon thinks. Because he definitely knows China. Chris, as I know him, is a Professor of Political Science at New Hampshire University and a research associate at Harvard University's Fairbank Center. But while he suggests that demonstrations will be suppressed, it doesn't mean that the Chinese communist regime is totally safe. Why? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

I know my question may seem too apocalyptic — or even crazy — but I had to ask: Is the EU's war with the US or Russia more likely? And as strange as it may sound, Nathalie Tocci provided a very interesting answer. So, welcome to my discussion with the Director of the Italian Istituto Affari Internazionali (Institute of International Affairs). We talked about Donald Trump's plan for negotiations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Ukraine, the role of Europeans in all of this, and what America means to the EU these days. An ally, friend, partner, rival? An adversary, even? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Could Russia try to stage a coup in Moldova? How probable is it? Is Moldova's government ready for such a scenario? And what about the problem of Transnistria? About the current developments in Moldova, I talked to Denis Cenusa. He is an associate expert at The Eastern Europe Studies Centre (EESC) in Vilnius. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

In September, I visited South Korea for the first time and I also had the opportunity to see the demilitarized zone. Just before my visit, I talked to Sung-Yoon Lee, Kim Koo-Korea Foundation Professor of Korean Studies and Assistant Professor at Tufts University. Our discussion was focused more on North Korea and the regime in Pyongyang. So what can we expect from Kim Jong-un and from his sister Kim Yo-jong? In fact, Professor Lee's new book will be exactly about this as its title is - The Sister: The extraordinary story of Kim Yo Jong, the most powerful woman in North Korea. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

On 15 and 16 June, Switzerland is organizing a Summit on Peace in Ukraine and about 90 countries and organizations will attend. Russia wasn't invited and Ukrainian analyst Julia Kazdobina explains why. She is a Visiting Fellow at The Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies and she heads the Ukrainian Foundation for Security Studies. So what would be a successful summit for Ukraine and would be a failure? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

John Sipher is a senior non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, and the co-founder of Spycraft Entertainment, a production firm providing content to the entertainment industry. He retired in 2014 after a 28-year career in the CIA’s National Clandestine Service, which included serving in Moscow and running the CIA’s Russia operations. So I asked him if he would hire current  Russian President Vladimir Putin for the CIA looking at his KGB's career. We also discussed John's career, the brutal Russian war against Ukraine, Spycraft Entertainment, but also how deep into Putin's inner circle can the Western intelligence services see. Do you wanna know? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠

I just returned from a one-week-long visit to Taiwan and this podcast is one of the results of spending a few days there. I talked to Lev Nachman, a political scientist, Assistant Professor at National Chengchi University in Taipei, and a co-author of the book Taiwan: A Contested Democracy Under Threat. We discussed the domestic political dynamic and, of course, the cross-Strait relations as on May 20th the presidential inauguration of Taiwan's President William Lai took place and it was almost immediately followed by Chinese military drills around the island state. Do you want to know what Lev's advice to PRC's leader Xi Jinping regarding Taiwan would be? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

If you haven't read this already, I would like to recommend a report from The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) titled: Greyzone Lawfare: Russia and the Voyages of the SPARTA IV. It shows how certain Russian vessels appear to continue regularly transiting the Bosporus with military materiel, in breach of international law. I talked to one of the co-authors of the report. Giangiuseppe Pili is an Assistant Professor in the Intelligence Analysis Program at James Madison University and a RUSI's Associate Fellow. We discussed what Russian ships in the Black Sea are hiding and how to stop them but we talked also about the broader topic of how Russia is trying to evade sanctions. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Seva Gunitsky is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Toronto. Yes, I asked him how worried he is that Donald Trump's America might militarily attack Canada. According to him, it's very unlikely, but... "I teach introduction to international politics, and when I talk about countries' war plans, I used to use the Canada-American relationship as an example of a true security community, where there are no war plans against each other. I cannot use that example anymore, that's for sure," he explained to me. And do you want to know if he sees similarities between Trump and the Russian ruler, Vladimir Putin? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

Slovak early elections will take place on September 30. It seems the winner will be either the left-wing populist Smer of former Prime Minister Robert Fico or liberal Progressive Slovakia. What does it mean for the country internally and externally? Can Slovakia become the next Hungary and the Trojan horse of Russia in the EU and NATO? I talked to Slovak political scientist Pavol Baboš from the Department of Sociology at Comenius University in Bratislava. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

Martin Edwards is a Professor in the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University, where he teaches classes on International Organizations. So I asked him if we need the UN, if there is a case for suspending Russia from the UN as it wages a war against Ukraine, and what it can and can not do about the Gaza conflict. We also talked about the veto the P5 countries are using and, let's say misusing, and about what the UN needs except for reforms. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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?

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 is a special episode of my podcast as I have more than one guest for the first time. And not two, but three. I talked to Alessio Armenzoni, an Associate Fellow at the London-based Open Source Centre, Giangiuseppe Pili, an Assistant Professor at the Intelligence Analysis Program at James Madison University and Gary Kessler, the president of Gary Kessler Associates, a maritime cybersecurity research and training consultancy. We discussed their report Red Flags: Russian Oil Tradecraft in the Mediterranean Sea. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Alex Finley is a former officer of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, where she served in West Africa and Europe. She has penned three satires about the CIA: Victor in the Rubble, Victor in the Jungle, and Victor in Trouble. Satire about the CIA? In my view, the agency definitely deserves this kind of genre but still, I ask Alex why she chose it. But, of course, we also talked about some, let's say, more serious stuff, including if Russia's intelligence services can help install an American president. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Is Vladimir Putin's regime surprisingly too resilient and does Donald Trump represent a clear and present danger to American democracy? I raised such questions with Michael Chertoff who was the second US Secretary of Homeland Security from 2005 to 2009. He just attended the ITAPA conference in Bratislava. We also discussed Ukraine-West relations and whether he plans to endorse somebody in the upcoming presidential elections. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

The current polls show that the far-right Alternative for Germany, in German Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), is the second most popular party in the country. While it is an extremely unlikely scenario, I wanted to know what would happen if the AfD would rule Germany. So I talked to Kai Arzheimer who is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Mainz. We have also discussed why the AfD is rising in the polls and how it's connected with the Russian war against Ukraine. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠

I can only recommend reading the report - Political Drivers of China’s Changing Nuclear Policy: Implications for U.S.-China Nuclear Relations and International Security - so I also wanted to talk to its author. Tong Zhao is a Senior Fellow with the Nuclear Policy Program and Carnegie China and I'm happy he agreed and what follows is our debate. Are you interested in knowing more about China's decision process for the use of nuclear weapons? Or about possible cooperation between China and Russia in the area of nuclear weapons development? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

As Wikipedia says, Charles III, born Charles Philip Arthur George on November 14th, 1948 is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Last year, at the age of 73, he became the oldest person to accede to the British throne, also after having been the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales in British history. King Charles' coronation will take place on May 6th and he has really big shoes to fill. According to the YouGov poll from May 2022, so a few months before her death, Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has been admired by the British public. At that time 57 % of respondents claimed that she has done a very good job during her time on the throne and another 24% say she has done a fairly good job. But there are also other challenges King Charles faces. As the newspaper Guardian pointed out, on the eve of his coronation, a survey shows only three in 10 Britons think the monarchy is very important. The poll by the National Centre for Social Research shows public support for the monarchy has fallen to a historic low. A total of 45% of respondents said either it should be abolished, was not at all important, or not very important. So wearing the Supertunica for the coronation which weighs about 2kg and is made of cloth of gold-silk thread wrapped in thin pieces of gold or silver gilt metal won't be the biggest burden of King Charles III's reign. Dr. Tessa Dunlop is a British historian, writer, and broadcaster. Her latest book is titled Elizabeth and Philip: A Story of Young Love, Marriage and Monarchy. So it was no brainer to ask her to talk about the upcoming coronation of King Charles III. Why does she think that he will be a caretaker monarch? What to expect from the next royal generation represented by Prince Willian and Princess Kate? And how does she assess the story of Harry and Meghan? Read Dr. Dunlop's book and listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠⁠

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.

As Russia is conducting essentially terrorist attacks targeting Ukrainian cities with drones, I spoke to Mauro Gilli. He is a Senior Researcher in Military Technology and International Security at the Center for Security Studies of ETH-Zurich. We talked about drones and other military systems and about how both sides used them on the battlefield. Do you want to know what is the biggest surprise for my podcast guest when he looks at war? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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

This podcast was recorded two days before Queen Elizabeth II. passed away, that's why it's not mentioned. The death of the Monarch might have real political consequences for the United Kingdom, but it doesn't change the fact that a new Conservative PM Liz Truss will face many challenges. Is she up to the job? Is Boris Johnson already plotting a comeback? I talked to Steven Fielding, a Professor of Political History at Nottingham University. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Oleksandra Matviichuk is a Ukrainian human rights lawyer and head of the Center for Civil Liberties. Her organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. But, unfortunately, we talked about the war, about the Russian full-scale invasion that has already been ongoing for two years. "This is wishful thinking that Putin will stop. Putin openly talked about his goal in numerous interviews. He said there is no Ukrainian nation, and that we are the same people as Russians, which means through this genocidal policy Ukraine has to be occupied and people in Ukraine have to be reeducated as Russians or killed and that is why we have no other choice. If we stop fighting, there will be no more of us," said Oleksanda to me. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

Every comparison is a problematic one, but it is also interesting to educationally speculate. I talked to Rory Truex, an Assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. His research focuses on Chinese politics and authoritarian systems. We also discussed one very hypothetical question. Would Xi Jinping attack Ukraine if he would rule Russia? What was Rory's answer? How does he assess China-Russia relations but also internal dynamics within the CCP? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

The first time I interviewed Tom Nichols was in 2016 in Bratislava, just before the US presidential elections. At that time, he was still a Republican, but he had already rejected Donald Trump. Of course, he no longer identifies with the party. "I never thought I would see the party of Ronald Reagan making excuses for a dictator in the Kremlin," Tom told me. He is a staff writer at The Atlantic and a contributor to the Atlantic Daily newsletter. He is a professor emeritus of national-security affairs at the US Naval War College, where he taught for 25 years, and an instructor at the Harvard Extension School. We discussed why the US voted alongside Russia and North Korea against a UNGA resolution that was supported by American allies, Trump's approach to Ukraine negotiations, and the presidential purge of the armed forces. And why does Tom say Vladimir Putin is one shining star in Trump's world? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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 election just took place in Sweden and the result is that the country will be run by the rightist government. The Social Democrats led by PM Magdalena Andersson von over 30% of the votes but it's not enough to govern due to the fact that the far-right Sweden Democrats are the second-strongest party, gaining 20,5% of the votes in their best-ever election performance. How did it happen? What contributed to the success of the Sweden Democrats? Will they directly join the rightist government? And should we call them far-right? I talked to Nicholas Aylott, an Associate Professor of Political Science at Södertörn University. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

How is the Russian invasion against Ukraine shaping Japan's security views? What are Tokyo's main concerns? China, North Korea, Russia? I talked to John Nilsson-Wright, University Associate Professor in Modern Japanese Politics and International Relations at Cambridge University and Korea Foundation Korea Fellow and Senior Research Fellow for Northeast Asia with the Asia-Pacific Programme at Chatham House. And as the government of PM Fumio Kishida boosts the defense investments, we have also discussed the attitudes of Japanese citizens towards a more complex and hostile regional and global security environment. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Can North Korea afford to send a large number of soldiers to Ukraine's battlefield to support Russia's aggression? Is Ukraine somehow a proxy war for Pyongyang? Does Kim Jong-un think or even believe it fights the West, the US? As there have been many discussions about how North Korea can help Russia fight Ukraine by sending its soldiers, I talked to the Editor at NK News and NK Pro Arius Derr. Do you want to know more about Pyongyang-Moscow relations? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

From April 4th, Finland is officially the thirty-first member of NATO. What does it mean for the country, for the Alliance, and for Russia? What are the pros and possible cons of Finland's membership? And why is Sweden still out? I talked to Charly Salonius-Pasternak, a leading researcher in The Center on US Politics and Power at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. I also asked him what he thinks about the idea that Finnish PM Sanna Marin can become the next Secretary General of NATO. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ ⁠

Complex or complicated? What is the legacy of murdered Japan's ex-PM Shinzo Abe? Was he a nationalist who globalized Japan? The killing of the longest-serving Japanese Prime Minister on July 8th shocked the country and the world. How will Mr. Abe be remembered? I talked to Joshua Walker, President, and CEO of Japan Society in New York who had a chance to interact with the late Japanese PM. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

The Italian government of PM SuperMario Draghi collapsed. The early election will take place on September 25th. How might the voting be affected by Russian aggression against Ukraine? How pro-Putin are Italian parties and the public? Will Italy turn to Russia after the early election? And what to expect from the far-right leader Giorgia Meloni and her party Brothers of Italy which leads in the polls and it seems that Meloni has a realistic chance to become the first Italian female Prime Minister. I talked to Davide Vampa, a Senior Lecturer in Politics at Aston University. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

The United Kingdom general election takes place on July 4th. "All the things in the UK are now being seen as terrible," Professor Steven Fielding told me. He is an expert in British politics and modern political history and is currently writing a book analyzing the Labour Party since the 1970s. So is this going to be an electoral wipeout for the ruling Conservative Party? What kind of role is Nigel Farage and his Reform UK party playing and what to expect from the Labour Party if they get a chance to govern? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Happy Birthday to Arnold Schwarzenegger! Born on July 20, 1947, in Austrian Thal, he is 75 years young. The star of The Terminator, Predator, BTW, probably my favorite Arnolds's movie, Conan the Barbarian, Red Heat, Total Recall, Kindergarten Cop, Twins or True Lies, and the former Republican Governor of California has never been far from the spotlight. How was he able to achieve what he has achieved? Schwarzenegger had a master plan. This is what Michael Blitz explained to me. He is a co-author of the books Arnold Schwarzenegger: A Biography and Why Arnold Matters: The Rise of a Cultural Icon and a Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at the City University of New York. So why is Arnold a cultural icon? How influential is he these days? Can he or his movies predict the future? And would Arnold Schwarzenegger be able to beat Donald Trump if they would politically face each other? Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

How close or far is the US from a civil war? This was my question for Jay Ulfelder, a political scientist who works as a Research Project Manager at the Nonviolent Action Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School. From 2001 until 2011, he served as Research Director for the Political Instability Task Force, a US Government-funded program that aims to help policymakers anticipate and understand various forms of political crisis around the world. This episode of my podcast has been partly inspired by a new movie Civil War. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠

,,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.

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.

Ukraine is losing the war after 1,000 days of the Russian large-scale invasion. Why are the defenders in such a situation? Due to the lack of personnel and weapons, or hesitation of its Western allies, or the relative strength of Russia? Or is it everything combined? I talked to the military analyst Gustav Gressel. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Taylor Swift was named Person of the Year 2023 by Time. Does she deserve this? What makes her so special? Her skill as a musician? Her phenomenal commercial success? Does she already have a place among the best artists in the history of pop music? And can Taylor Swift run for the US President? I talked to Toby Koenigsberg, an Associate Professor of Jazz Piano and Chair of Popular Music at the University of Oregon. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Russian President Vladimir Putin achieved less than nothing. This is how Tom Nichols assesses the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Tom is a staff writer at The Atlantic and Professor Emeritus of national-security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College, where he taught for 25 years. So is Putin the biggest loser of 2022? Are we witnessing Cold War 2.0? Read not just the latest Tom's book Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault From Within on Modern Democracy and listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Jennifer Mercieca is a Professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at Texas A&M University and the author of the book Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump. So we talked about Trump.  Is he an existential threat to American democracy? Is he truly willing to use the Justice Department, the FBI, and other state institutions to target his opponents? Will the U.S. government resemble a form of oligarchy, and will the administration be led by figures like Elon Musk or Vice President JD Vance? Can the Democrats learn something from Trump about how to connect with voters? Listen to our conversation.  And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

The Russians themselves must conclude that the war against Ukraine was a mistake, a disaster. That's why they have to lose otherwise there will be another war. This is how Anne Applebaum sees the invasion. She is a staff writer for The Atlantic and a Pulitzer-prize winning historian. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Anne's latest book is The Twilight of Democracy. But in fact, she doesn't need much of an introduction and I'm glad that we were able to arrange this conversation. We also discussed what would happen if Russian President Vladimir Putin would disappear and what to do about Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

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 

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.

"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.

Could Ukraine repeat the Kursk operation in Transnistria? What's the situation in Moldova before the presidential election that will take place on October 20? And why are politicians like Slovak PM Robert Fico talking about reestablishing standard relations with Russia? I talked to Denis Cenusa, an Associate Expert at the Eastern Europe Studies Centre in Vilnius. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Kacper Rerawek⁠ 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 was published last year and for The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) he just released a report A Year of Foreign Fighting for Ukraine: Catching Fish With Bare Hands? So who are they and how do foreign fighters contribute to the fight with Russia? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠ ⁠

This time, I talked to Slovak political scientist ⁠Pavol Baboš⁠ from the Department of Sociology at Comenius University in Bratislava. We discussed the incoming presidential elections in Slovakia and the two clear favorites. The Speaker of the Parliament Peter Pellegrini and the former foreign minister Ivan Korčok. The first round of the elections will take place on April 23rd, and the second round, with the two most successful candidates, on April 6th. Can we say who will win it? And what about the autocratic tendencies of the current Slovak government? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

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.

To quote Margaret Thatcher: Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't. So how powerful is Russia whose leaders like to brag about it? I talked to Nicholas Cull, a Professor of Public Diplomacy and Communication at the University of Southern California. We discussed Russian narratives related to the war against Ukraine and what Moscow is trying to achieve by using them but also the concept of reputational security that is helping Ukraine. Does Russia have diplomacy or is it mostly trolling? Why does Nick think that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is doing an amazing job? And do we live in Tom Clancy's novel? Excuse a bit worse quality of the sound. Listen to our conversation. And if enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

If you listen to my podcast The Global Agora you know Mick Ryan has been generous enough to appear on my show. He is a military strategist and retired Australian Army major general, so I again used this opportunity to talk about all things related to NATO and the Russian war against Ukraine. And while the days are dark, he says he stays optimistic. Why? And how much is he concerned about the possibility of Russia attacking NATO's territory? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Lee Morgenbesser is an Associate Professor in Comparative Politics at the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith University.  His most recent book is titled The Rise of Sophisticated Authoritarianism in Southeast Asia, so he is a perfect match for the next episode of my podcast. We discussed how Prime Minister Hun Sen took over Cambodia and if his reign is somehow unique if we compare Hun Sen to other authoritarian rulers. The July election showed that Hun Sen is running the country seemingly unopposed. But can people in Cambodia still resist his rule? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

I've got three recommendations for you. I recommend watching Oppenheimer. I recommend reading the book American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer, co-authored by Kai Bird and the late Martin Sherwin, on which the movie is based. And I recommend listening to this episode of my podcast as I had a chance to talk to Kai Bird. And I do believe we had a very interesting debate about the movie, his book, and about how relevant Oppenheimer is these days. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Aaron Mehta is the editor-in-chief of Breaking Defense, but above all, he's a dear friend. We met almost a decade ago on NATO's eastern flank, in Poland. The result? I introduced Aaron and a bunch of other colleagues to the "mad dog" drink. If you don't know what it is, google it and give it a try! But this is not just a free ad for a drink and friendship. I used Aaron's expertise and experience to dissect what we know about the F-47, a sixth-generation fighter program. When will it fly? How much will it cost? Will it be better than the Chinese project? Listen to our conversation. And if you 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

The Americans have one month to decide who they will vote for. Will it be a Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump? As this is a spooky season, I asked Professor of Political Science from North Carolina State University Steven Greene which candidate is more concerned about a possible October surprise. We all know that the polls are tight, so we talked about why the Americas are willing to support Harris and what motivates them to vote for Trump. And do you want to know which of my takes on American politics my guest liked and what that has to do with Elon Musk? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

What keeps former Italian Prime Minister and current President of Jacques Delors Institute Enrico Letta awake at night when he thinks about the European economy? This was my first question for him and from there we went to a discussion about the European defense industry, EU competitiveness, demography, migration, austerity, and, of course, his report Much more than a market. Our interview took place at the annual GLOBSEC⁠ conference that was held in Prague this year. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

How can Europe build a new security architecture? Can it wait until the possible return of Donald Trump to the White House? Should the West abandon all self-imposed red-lines when helping Ukraine? And does German Chancellor Olaf Scholz regret that he started to talk about Zeitenwende? At the GLOBSEC event in Bratislava, I talked to Ulrich Schneckener, Professor of International Relations & Peace and Conflict Studies at Osnabrück University. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

French President Emmanuel Macron was elected for his second term one year ago, on April 24th, 2021. How strong or weak is he now? I talked to Georgina Wright, a Senior Fellow, and Director of Institut Montaigne's Europe Program. We discuss recent Macron's visit to China and its aftermath but also French domestic politics. Is Macron naive? And is there a danger that he is paving the way for a radical successor? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠⁠ 

The first round of the presidential election in Czechia takes place on 13 and 14 January. There are three clear favorites for the run-off. Ex-Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, former rector of Mendel University in Brno Danuše Nerudová, and former Chair of the NATO Military Committee Petr Pavel. I talked to Seán Hanley, an Associate Professor in Comparative Central and East European Politics at the UCL School of Slavonic and East European Studies. We tried to assess what to expect from the presidential election and who might win this vote. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. https://ko-fi.com/amatisak