Talk Eastern Europe

In this episode, Alexandra and Nina discuss recent developments across Central and Eastern Europe, including the latest charges in North Macedonia following the tragic nightclub fire in Kočani, ongoing protests in Serbia, and a vote of no confidence in the Czech Republic.

The main interview features Daryna Pidhorna, Senior Lawyer at the Regional Centre for Human Rights. Daryna explores how Russia's aggression is targeting Ukrain...

In this special episode, Nina, Alexandra and Adam host a special episode recorded live with the Patrons of Talk Eastern Europe. They start with a discussion on recent news developments, including Ukraine’s Operation Spider Web, Bulgaria joining the Eurozone, and the latest on repressions in Georgia.

During the main episode, Adam is put in the hot-seat with Alexandra and Nina asking about the recent elections in Poland. They discuss...

In this special edition of Talk Eastern Europe, Alexandra reports in-person from Romania for a deep dive into the recent presidential elections. She speaks with experts Laura Stefan, Diana Filimon, and Vlad Barleanu about what happened in these dramatic elections, the allegations of digital interference from Russia, how the public responded, and what it all means for Romanian democracy.

Commentary by:

• Laura Stefan, Founder and t...

In this episode Adam and Alexandra catch up on the latest news, with a discussion on the upcoming presidential election in Poland, current developments in Hungary and what is the status of the peace process in Russia’s war against Ukraine.

During the deep dive, Adam sits down with journalist Agnieszka Pikulicka-Wilczewska to discuss issues in Central Asia in particular the situation surrounding the Caspian Sea.  They look at the geo...

Nina and Alexandra celebrate some positive news from the Romanian and Polish elections over the weekend before updating listeners on US-brokered negotiations with Russia and Ukraine. They also discuss revelations of forgery in a shady business dealing involving Trump's son-in-law in Serbia and new efforts by the ruling party to undermine the opposition in Georgia. 

Alexandra then interviews Dilmurad Yusupov, an independent resea...

In this episode, Alexandra and Adam start with updates from Ukraine and efforts to bring about a ceasefire. Meanwhile, a Polish investigation has found that a fire last year which burned down a huge shopping center in Warsaw was ordered by Russian intelligence while the country gets ready to vote in the presidential election on May 18th. Finally, Alexandra discusses the results of the recent Albania parliamentary election.

Later in ...

Nina and Alexandra open this episode with a discussion of the first round of the much-awaited presidential election in Romania, in which the far-right candidate George Simion blew away the competition. They then talk about Russia's commemoration of Victory in Europe Day taking place on May 9th, including the various guests from our region who plan to attend. Finally, Alexandra provides updates on the student protests in Serbia ...

In this episode, Adam and Alexandra open with a discussion of the latest news, including Ukraine and the status of the Trump negotiations; the deteriorating situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina; developments in Kosovo; and the preparations for presidential elections in Romania.

Later, Adam is joined by David Criekemans, an Associate Professor in International Relations at the University of Antwerp (Belgium). They discuss the changin...

Adam, Alexandra, and Nina return after a short break to discuss the latest developments in the region. Topics include the situation in Ukraine, the introduction of a controversial "Russian-style" law targeting NGOs in Slovakia, the formation of a new government and prime minister in Serbia, and recent developments surrounding the presidential elections in Romania.

In the main interview, Alexandra and Nina speak with Olga ...

Adam, Nina, and Alexandra are finally back together to discuss some news from the region. They cover the latest military draft in Russia, ongoing strikes in Ukraine, Hungary's decision to pull out of the International Criminal Court, and Adam gives his perspective on developments on the Polish-Belarusian border. 

For the deep dive, Alexandra speaks with Ognen Vangelov, Assistant Professor at University American College-Skopje in...

To start of the episode, Adam and Alexandra talk about the prospect of foreign troop deployment in Ukraine, a historic border agreement between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, a further crackdown against opposition in Georgia, and the fleeing of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik to Moscow.

Alexandra is then joined by policy analyst Alejandro Esteso Pérez, who specializes in the Western Balkans, EU enlargement, corruption, and authoritar...

Nina and Alexandra open the episode by discussing the ongoing negotiations in Riyadh between the US, Russia and Ukraine and providing an overdue update on the deteriorating situation for civil society and media in Georgia. They then talk about a potential final agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia and the assault of a journalist in Serbia.

For the main interview, Nina and Alexandra spoke with Leanid Marozau, the Head of the Lega...

In this episode, Adam and Alexandra start by discussing the latest news from the region – including the fallout from the tragic fire which killed 59 people in North Macedonia as well as the massive protests which took place in Belgrade over the weekend. They also look at developments in Hungary as the opposition leader appears to be gaining momentum, while the government outlaws Budapest Pride.

Later, Adam is joined by Konstantin v...

In this episode, Adam and Nina kick off with the latest headlines, including Ukraine’s ceasefire deal in exchange for renewed US military and intelligence aid, plus a NATO military chiefs’ meeting in Paris. They also break down what’s happening in Romania, the online clash between Poland’s Foreign Minister and Elon Musk, and wrap up with updates from Azerbaijan.

Later, Alexandra and Nina chat with Zuzana Pavlíčková, a human rights ...

Nina and Alexandra open this episode with a discussion on the latest news, including the fallout from last week’s oval office meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. They also briefly touch on the political situation in Romania, Serbia as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the conviction of Milorad Dodik which is being challenged by Republika Srbska.

Later, Adam is joined by Isaac Stanley-Becker, an investigative reporter who has ...

This special episode marks the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The three co-hosts are joined by a group of Talk Eastern Europe patrons and Iryna Krasnoshtan, an analyst and foreign policy expert from the International Center for Ukrainian Victory. Together, they reflect on how three years of war have reshaped life in Ukraine, discussing the tensions between the US and Ukraine, the support from European...

In this episode, the three co-hosts discuss key takeaways from the Munich Security Conference and a historic meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. They also touch on the anniversary of Alexei Navalny’s death, Serbia’s Statehood Day, developments in Georgia, and promising news from North Macedonia.

Later, Nina speaks with Konstanty Kuzma and Moritz Pfei...

At the start of this episode, Adam, Nina, and Alexandra discuss developments in the Georgian opposition, the shifting US stance on Ukraine, cultural anecdotes from Russia, the resignation of the Romanian president and the Baltics' energy decoupling. For the main interview, Alexandra is joined by James Kerr-Lindsay, a leading author and expert in international relations, conflict and security to discuss the case of Kosovo, which...

In this episode, Adam and Alexandra start out by taking a look at the latest developments in the region, including the protests in Serbia, the impact of USAID funding cuts in the region, including in Ukraine, as well as a new energy deal between the European Commission and Moldova. Later, Adam is joined by Nurlan Aliyev, an expert on security issues, a lecturer in the University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw and author ...