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Chain Reaction

Chain Reaction is the Foreign Policy Research Institute’s flagship network of podcast series examining the political, security, economic, and social trends shaping Europe and Eurasia. Throughout the year we are talking with experts about developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine, the new European security order, the past, present, and future of the Baltic States, Russia’s political economy, and great power competition in the region. Join us each month for: Bear Market Brief, Baltic Ways, and Report in Short.

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Episodes

Stuck in the Magyar: Why is Hungary the "Bad Boy" of Europe?

How did Hungary stray from the liberal democratic path? What does that mean in practice? And what explains its contrarian position on Russia within the EU? Andras Toth-Czifra and Marta Pardavi join Aaron to discuss all things Hungary. This conversation was recorded live on Twitter Spaces on October 3, 2022. Related reading: https://orban.media/ Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe...

Oct 05, 202244 min

Russia's War in Ukraine: The Strategic Picture

In this Bear Market Brief crossover episode, FPRI Templeton Fellow Phil Wasielewski joins host Aaron Schwartzbaum to provide an update on the war and take a step back. What is the broader strategic picture and what does it mean for Putin and Russia? Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 28, 202246 min

Bloc Party: The EU and the War in Ukraine

We've looked how the war in Ukraine has impacted politics in several countries, but what about the EU as a whole? Charles Lichfield joins to discuss. This conversation was recorded live on Twitter Spaces on September 14, 2022. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Sep 15, 202245 min

What does Erdogan Erdo-want?

What exactly motivates Turkey's mercurial leader? On this episode, Sibel Oktay joins to discuss what's on Erdogan's mind these days and his angle on Ukraine, NATO, and more. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Jul 19, 202238 min

Baltic Power Hour

Join us as we cover all three Baltic States in (about) one hour. Guests Dr. Indra Ekmanis and Martynas Smitas share their views and some nuances on the current political and security juncture, as well as where the local Russian minority fits into all this. The conversation with Indra Ekmanis was recorded on June 28 and July 3, 2022, and the conversation with Martynas Smitas was recorded on July 1, 2022. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe...

Jul 06, 20221 hr

No More Niinistö Nice Guy: Has Finland's Security Calculus Changed?

Finland has a long border and similarly long history with Russia. How does the war in Ukraine change its defense and security picture? This week Aaron Schwartzbaum and Minna Alander discuss Finland's security calculus. This conversation was recorded live on Twitter Spaces on June 21, 2022. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Jun 23, 202238 min

Swedening the Deal: Stockholm Turns to NATO

Why and how did Sweden abandon centuries of neutrality, and where does it fit in the European security picture? This week Aaron Schwartzbaum speaks with Oscar Jonsson about Sweden's NATO ambitions and the country's current political crisis. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Jun 09, 202239 min

Sweden's Troubles with Turkey

After abandoning a policy of neutrality, Sweden was expected to rapidly join NATO in time for the June 28 summit in Madrid. Instead, Turkey, a NATO member since 1952, has blocked Sweden's accession, demanding a series of concessions ranging from support for Turkish counter terror operations to extraditing Swedish citizens of Kurdish origin. To discuss this issue, Aaron is joined by Dr. Paul Levin, the Director of Stockholm University Institute for Turkish Studies. Get full access to FPRI Insight...

Jun 03, 202237 min

The Sejm Difference? Poland and the New, Old Europe

How has the war in Ukraine changed Poland's politics, security, and even society? And what about Warsaw's relationship with Brussels? This week Aaron Schwartzbaum speaks with Anna Wojcik and Wojciech Przybylski about Poland's past, present, and future in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. This conversation was recorded live on Twitter Spaces on May 25, 2022. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe...

May 26, 202250 min

The State of Play in Ukraine

The Russian invasion in Ukraine has bogged down, forcing President Vladimir Putin to wrestle with a series of questions about how to continue the invasion. The United States and its European Allies have pledged open-ended military support for Ukraine, allowing President Zelensky to replace equipment, and retain critical capabilities to defend the country. To discuss the latest developments in the war, Rob Lee, FPRI Senior Fellow, and Michael Kofman, Research Program Director in the Russia Studie...

May 13, 202250 min

Bundes-where? Germany's Politics and Security in Changing Times

The Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) is pleased to introduce a special Chain Reaction podcast series: The Continent. The Continent explores how the war in Ukraine is changing Europe's politics and security. Host Aaron Schwartzbaum will "visit" a country on each episode, learning about key dynamics and trends from local experts. In the first episode Aaron speaks with Marcel Dirsus and Jana Puglierin about Germany's response to the war in Ukraine. Just how important is this political momen...

May 12, 202247 min

Russia's Manpower Conundrum in Ukraine

Russia is facing a manpower shortage and has a series of hard political choices to make, as it seeks to continue its invasion of Ukraine. To discuss this issue, Aaron speaks this week with Michael Kofman, Research Program Director in the Russia Studies Program at CNA about the war, Russian options to escalate, and Putin's May 9th speech. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe...

May 06, 202224 min

Central American Migration: Traveling with the Caravan

Since Trump’s infamous call for a border wall and vague, fear-mongering threats of a “caravan of migrants'', security along the US-Mexico border has become a topic of increasing interest for the average American. How much of a security concern does migration from South and Central America pose, if any, to the US? And how can the US address the root causes forcing this mass migration in a sustainable and non-destructive way? Guest host Clint Watts will talk to Delphine Schrank, freelance journali...

Apr 12, 202221 min

The DoD Budget Drops

The FY2023 Department of Defense budget has dropped and it is packed full of insights. To talk about the budget and what it means for the future of the Air Force and Navy, Aaron speaks with Valerie Insinna, the Air Force and Pentagon reporter for Breaking Defense. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Apr 04, 202219 min

Europe's Big Secret: Funding Offshore Migrant Prisons

Before many African migrants even see Europe, they are captured and imprisoned in migrant detention camps in Libya. These detention centers, while run by Libyan militias, were funded and enabled to be run by the European Union. In this episode, Clint speaks with Ian Urbina, director of the Outlaw Ocean Project, a nonprofit journalism initiative exploring lawlessness on the high seas, who recently published a piece in the New Yorker “The Secretive Prisons That Keep Migrants Out of Europe”. He unc...

Mar 29, 202222 min

The Air War Over Ukraine

The air war over Ukraine is now a month old. In this episode of Chain Reaction, Dr. Aaron Stein speaks with Dr. Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council with new American engagement initiative, about the air war and the role defenses have played in frustrating Moscow's campaign. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Mar 25, 202234 min

How Technology is Helping (and Hurting) Migrants

The Syrian Civil War led to likely the most prominent migration crisis in modern history. In 2015, the European Union was forced to reckon with a surge of millions of migrants fleeing devastation and danger in Syria. Foreign Policy Research Institute Distinguished Fellow Clint Watts talks with Jessica Bither, senior expert on migration at the Bosch Foundation. Jessica’s expertise lies in the intersection of technology and migration and she has extensively studied European migration patterns. The...

Mar 15, 202224 min

Debating a No Fly Zone: The Risk of Escalation with Moscow

In this episode of Chain Reaction, Aaron speaks with Mike "Pako" Benitez, a retiring active-duty officer with over 25 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force, about the history of no fly zones, the challenges in setting one up, and the risk of inadvertent escalation. Mike wrote a recent article with Mike “Starbaby” Pietrucha about the topic and is the editor of the Merge newsletter. Related reading: The Dangerous Allure of the No Fly Zone - Mike Benitez & Mike Pietrucha ...

Mar 09, 202235 min

Examining Russia's Invasion of Ukraine

After seven days of conflict, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has made clear gains, but has also suffered from obvious deficiencies. In this episode of Chain Reaction, Aaron speaks again with Rob Lee, FPRI Senior Fellow, about the trajectory of the war, Russian challenges, and the future of the conflict. This conversation was recorded on March 3, 2022. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe...

Mar 04, 202241 min

Climate Change: What's In It For America?

International measures to slow climate change have been too little and too late, and the consequences of global inaction increasingly affect daily life here in the US. Americans are already being forced to move due to climate related disaster. In this episode, Clint talks to Jesse Keenan, Associate Professor of Real Estate at Tulane University in New Orleans. They discuss how climate change is specifically affecting the US and what Americans should - and should not - be worried about in the near...

Mar 01, 202217 min

The Risk of War: Russia's Options for War in Ukraine

In today's Chain Reaction, Aaron speaks with Rob Lee, a FPRI Senior Fellow, and Michael Kofman, the Russia Studies Director at CNA, about the situation on the Ukrainian-Russian border and the risk of "spillage" beyond the border. Related reading: "Putin's Wager in Russia's Standoff with the West" - War on the Rocks "Moscow's Compellence Strategy" - Foreign Policy Research Institute Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe...

Feb 18, 202252 min

Do I Stay Or Do I Go?

Excessive heat. Heavier rains. Natural disasters are growing in number and severity. Devastation from climate change is already a reality across much of the world and is prompting those in the regions most vulnerable to warming temperatures to ask themselves the question: do I stay or do I go? In this episode, Clint talks with Dr. Jola Ajibade, Assistant Professor of Geography at Portland State University about how different global communities are migrating or adapting to climate change. Get ful...

Feb 15, 202225 min

The Risk of War in Ukraine: Moscow's Military Posture

The Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine is complete, raising the risk of an imminent invasion. To discuss the latest, Aaron speaks with Rob Lee, a FPRI senior fellow, about Moscow's force posture and potential military scenarios. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Feb 11, 202236 min

Russian Perceptions of Military AI and Automation

On this episode of Chain Reaction, Aaron spoke with Anna Nadibaidze about her new report "Russian Perceptions of Military AI, Automation, and Autonomy." The conversation touched on Russian views of Artificial Intelligence, autonomy, and the ethical use of these types of weapons. The report is available for download on www.fpri.org Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe...

Feb 09, 202216 min

Climate Change Who Has it Worst?

​​What does a warming planet mean for our national security? In this special segment, Foreign Policy Research Institute’s Distinguished Research Fellow Clint Watts talks to three experts on the impacts of climate change to US national security in a special Chain Reaction podcast series. In late January, President Biden signed an executive order placing the climate crisis at the center of U.S. foreign policy and national security. Climate change is an unavoidable problem for everyone, but not eve...

Feb 01, 202217 min

Tensions over Ukraine: Russia's Rationale for War

On this episode of Chain Reaction, Aaron speaks with Michael Kofman, who serves as Research Program Director in the Russia Studies Program at the Center for Naval Analyses, about the latest developments in Ukraine. The discussion centered on Russia's potential use of force and why the Kremlin may conclude that the actual costs of an invasion are lower than is commonly assumed. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe...

Jan 12, 202226 min

Russia's Anti-Satellite Weapon: Understanding Russia's ASAT Test

On this episode, Aaron speaks with Dr. Laura Grego, Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at the Laboratory for Nuclear Security and Policy at MIT, about Russia's November 15 test of a ground-based anti-satellite weapon, the challenges of space debris, and potential options to limit such tests in the future. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Nov 19, 202121 min

Getting Force Design Right: Looking Ahead to the 2022 NDS

On this week's show, Aaron speak with Becca Wasser, a fellow in the defense program and co-lead of the Gaming Lab at the Center for a New American Security, about her recent article for War on the Rocks about the next National Defense Strategy, integrated deterrence, and the issues Washington should be considering as it plans for strategic competition with peer competitors. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe...

Nov 03, 202126 min

AUKUS: A Deep-Dive on U.S.-Australia Ties

On this episode, Aaron speaks with Susannah Patton, a Research Fellow in the Foreign Policy and Defence Program at the United States Studies Centre, about the recent submarine agreement. For listeners, check out Susannah's latest report, Correcting the Course: How the Biden Administration can Compete for Influence in the Indo-Pacific. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe...

Oct 05, 202126 min

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Navalny?

This week we’d like to introduce a special episode recorded in collaboration with FPRI’s BMB Russia, a news brief that brings together the latest on Russia’s economy, politics, business, and political risk environment. In this special series hosted by FPRI Fellow and BMB Russia founder, Aaron Schwartzbaum, we’ll explore politics, economics, and their intersection in Russia, Ukraine, and the post-Soviet space and beyond. This week, Jan Matti Dollbaum, Morvan Lallouet, Ben Noble, authors of the bo...

Sep 23, 202139 min
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