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 our world. Throughout the year we are talking with experts about developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine, the new European security order, defense and geopolitical issues in the Baltic States, as well as current and future national security challenges and opportunities in the technology and space sectors. Join us each month for: Bear Market Brief, Behind the Front, Baltic Ways, Report in Short, and the Ties That Bind: NATO at 75 and Beyond.
Join us each month for : The Continent, Bear Market Brief, Baltic Ways, Report in Short, and The Ties That Bind: NATO at 75 and Beyond.
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Dr. Janet Laidla shares her work on charting the roles and contributions of women at the University of Tartu from the early days of the Estonian Republic, and what it means today. Transcript available. Baltic Ways is a podcast...
Read more »If we know how Russia’s presidential election is going to turn out… why even bother holding the election? Join Aaron Schwartzbaum, András Tóth-Czifra, and Olga Khvostunova for an exploration of electoral autocracy and the political moment. Explore more from...
Read more »Amid the commentary on the war in Ukraine, the voices of those who live it every day are sometimes lost. In this episode of Chain Reaction, we hear from Sophia Opatska of Lviv, Hanna Shelest of Odessa, and Maksym...
Read more »Despite Western economic policy, Russia has been able to continue its war against Ukraine, and even seen economic growth. Join as we kick off our season with Nick Trickett and Iikka Korhonen investigating what’s driving Russia’s economy these days,...
Read more »As the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, the optimism that reigned a year ago has largely faded. The failure of Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive and the uncertainty of future US assistance seem to augur tough times...
Read more »On September 19, 2023, Azerbaijani forces initiated a massive attack on Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian-populated and effectively self-governing region inside internationally recognized Azerbaijani territory. Within 24 hours, the Nagorno-Karabakh leadership gave in, and, for the first time, Baku could claim...
Read more »From the “Great Game” of the 19th century to the NATO war in Afghanistan, Central Asia has periodically been at the center of geopolitics. But more often, it has faded into the geopolitical shadows, as other regions and other...
Read more »Since 2009, Russia has invested significant effort into developing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, for military purposes. However, after a year of war in Ukraine, the Russian military has lost the biggest part of its tactical reconnaissance and...
Read more »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...
Read more »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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