A nation must think before it acts.
Chain Reaction
A podcast from the Foreign Policy Research Institute examining America’s role on the world stage. Every two weeks we’ll talk to experts about policy relevant news from around the world and why it matters for U.S. foreign policy.
Please note this podcast was known as the Middle East Brief prior to 2021.
No Nukes is Good Nukes: Russia’s Strategic Red Lines
The Bear Market Brief goes nuclear! Andrey Baklitskiy dropped by to discuss all of Russia’s strategic red lines, what the introduction of hypersonic weapons means for global security, and more. Explore more from the Bear Market Brief Podcast here...
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Report in Short: Russian Women in the Face of War Against Ukraine
Russia’s war against Ukraine has revealed stories about the heroic resistance efforts of Ukrainian women: from a grandmother launching a pickle jar against a drone to volunteers with territorial defense units. However, comparable stories have been entirely lacking on...
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Women’s Work: History of Women in Academia at the University of Tartu
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...
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Russia’s Election: It Ain’t Vova ’till it’s Vova
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...
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Russia’s Invasion Through Ukrainian Eyes
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...
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Has Russia Won the Sanctions War?
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,...
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Dark Days Ahead in Ukraine?
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...
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Report in Short: A “Frozen Conflict” Boils Over
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...
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Out of the Shadows and Into the Sun: The (Re)-Emergence of Central Asia
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...
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Report in Short: Russian Military Drones
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...
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