A nation must think before it acts.
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 : The Continent, Bear Market Brief, Baltic Ways, Report in Short
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Why Do Autocrats Make Mistakes?
Almost two years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Bear Market Brief investigates how we got here in the first place. What does theory say about Vladimir Putin’s decision making? Seva Gunitsky joins to discuss. Explore more from the Bear Market...
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Wagner Group: Where Are They Now?
It’s been just over five months since the Wagner Group’s insurrection against the Russian government and three months since the group’s leader was killed in a plane crash, almost certainly orchestrated by the Kremlin. But the Wagner Group has...
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KZ Right Now: Kazakhstan’s Politics in a Changing Global Order
The Continent takes a (slight) detour to learn how trends over in Eurasia compare with what we’re seeing in Europe. The complicated neighbor is the same; what about the domestic and geopolitical landscape? Temur Umarov offers insights on the...
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Watching Russia
Where does Russian public sentiment on politics and war stand these days? And on a more basic level, how is it measured? Bear Market Brief talked with Isabelle DeSisto of Russia Watcher to learn more! Learn more about Russia...
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Economic War: Ukraine and the Global Conflict Between Russia and the West
On this week’s special episode of the Bear Market Brief, Aaron Schwartzbaum sits down with FPRI Fellow Maximilian Hess to talk about his new book “Economic War: Ukraine and the Global Conflict Between Russia and the West” (Hurst, 2023)....
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Reflections on a Life in Special Operations, Intelligence, and Strategy
In a career spanning from the height of the Cold War to the fight against Al Qaida, Michael Vickers worked at every level of the US national security community. From his time as an Army Green Beret trained to...
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Kyiv Dispatch: How are Ukraine’s Politics and Society Changing as the War Continues?
Politically and socially, how are Ukrainians contending with a difficult, long war? Fabrice Deprez joins from Kyiv to give us an update. Check out Fabrice’s newsletter: Eastern Radar Subscribe to the Bear Market Brief Explore more...
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Apocalypse Chisinau: Identity Politics in Moldova
How much do Moldovan politics rhyme with some of what we’ve seen in Ukraine? FPRI Senior Fellow Ecaterina Locoman sheds light on language politics, Ukraine war spillover, and frozen conflict. The Continent explores how the war in Ukraine is changing...
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Dark Heritage: Exploring Memory Building in Estonia
How do we remember tragedies? How do populations construct memories and memory institutions around these events? How can contemporary researchers begin to make sense of these complex landscapes? Dr. Margaret Comer of University College London joins us to discuss...
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Black Sea Security: The View From Bucharest
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 put the Black Sea region on the map in Washington, DC and Brussels after decades of relative neglect. Among regional countries Romania was an early, vocal and persistent proponent of greater US...
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