Orsolya Ráczová is an analyst on Eurasia Group’s Europe team, covering Central and Eastern Europe. She is definitely the right person to speak with about the upcoming elections in Hungary, which will be held on April 12. Will Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his party, Fidesz, lose power after 16 years? Would he accept defeat if he loses? And would Orbán’s challenger, Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza Party, concede if his attempt to oust the current Hungarian government is unsuccessful? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Robert Hamilton is the President of the Delphi Global Research Center. He served for 30 years in the US Army, retiring as a Colonel, and during his career, he was deployed to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Germany, Belarus, Georgia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. He is the author of the book China-Russia Relations: The Dance of the Dragon and the Bear and holds a PhD in International Relations as well as an MA in Russian Studies from the University of Virginia. With his experience in the Middle East and his expertise on Russia, Dr. Hamilton is an ideal guest to discuss two ongoing wars – in Ukraine and in Iran. Is this already a global conflict? And why does Bob say that the US has painted itself into a corner in Iran? 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 the Iran war mean for Ukraine? And what are the Russians doing in Hungary? Julia Kazdobina is the head of the Ukrainian Foundation for Security Studies, so we talked about the ripple effects of the US-Israeli war against Iran on Ukraine's ability to defend itself, about the unique drone expertise Kyiv is bringing to the Gulf states and the US, about Russian political technologists who have arrived in Hungary ahead of the elections – and about why she thinks Europe needs to figure out what it actually wants before it sits down at any negotiating table with 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

Who is running Iran? And what can the Iran–Iraq War tell us about the current conflict? These were just two of the questions I asked Mateo Mohammad Farzaneh, a full professor and chair of the History Department at Northeastern Illinois University. We discussed his journey from Iran to the United States, what led him to study history, his perspective on the war against Iran launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, and why the regime in Tehran may be far more resilient than the West tends to assume. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Michal Onderčo is a Full Professor of International Relations in the Department of Public Administration and Sociology at Erasmus University Rotterdam, and his most recent book is titled Europe's Nuclear Umbrella. The current global instability, ongoing wars, and the collapse of key arms control treaties provide a perfect – albeit grim – setup for our debate. We discussed who holds Europe's nuclear umbrella and what Europe can do about it, French nuclear plans, Russian nuclear threats, and we also fact-checked nuclear claims made by US President Donald Trump. And if you listen to my podcast The Global Agora regularly, you know that I’m not shy about asking apocalyptic questions. So – could the Iran war go nuclear? 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 Operation Epic Fury a punitive campaign – or a regime change war? Why is it even called Epic Fury? Could Iran become Donald Trump’s Iraq or Afghanistan? And what advice would national security expert Jonathan Schroden give the President to avoid such a scenario? My guest is the Chief Research Officer within the Office of the President at the CNA Corporation, with over 20 years of experience in policy, strategy, and operations research and analysis. Jonathan's forthcoming book is titled US Counterterrorism Operations in Afghanistan: Jackpots, Dry Holes, and Collateral Damage. 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 this episode of The Global Agora, I speak with Monika Sus, a professor at the Institute of Political Studies at Polish Academy of Sciences and expert on European security and EU foreign policy. Together, we explore whether Europe is already at war with Russia, and why the distinction between “war” and “hybrid warfare” may no longer hold. We discuss Poland’s view of Russia as an existential threat, divisions within the European Union, the uncertain future of NATO, and whether Europe must begin seriously preparing for a security architecture that can function without the United States. And ultimately, we confront the most unsettling question of all: in today’s climate of strategic uncertainty, can Europe still rely on its closest ally? So, would American President Donald Trump fight for Gdansk? 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 this episode of The Global Agora, I speak once again with retired Australian Major General Mick Ryan. We have been having these conversations for over three years now. This time, we discuss Ukraine’s evolving strategy of cumulative attrition – targeting not only Russian troops, and Ukraine wants to destroy 50,000 Russians per month, but also oil revenues and political pressure points. We examine whether Kyiv has the means to sustain this approach, the mistakes made by all sides during four years of Russia’s full-scale invasion, and why – despite drones and AI transforming the battlefield – 90 percent of warfare remains an old story of leadership, training, mass, logistics, and political will. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak