Podcasts about baltics

My recent trip through Latvia and Lithuania took a few twists and turns I didn't see coming... In today's episode, my co-host Marc Clair and I continue discussing my travels through the Baltics and some of the experiences that made this part of the trip particularly memorable. Enjoy! IN TODAY'S EPISODE Tune in to hear how a family emergency sent us looking for a hospital on possibly the worst night imaginableListen in as I describe the changes I've seen in one international community I've visited for years, and why it reinforced my thinking around family and legacyFind out what it was like visiting a secret Soviet nuclear missile base hidden in the Lithuanian countrysideWould I actually recommend any of the Baltic countries I visited as a Plan-B?  THE EXPAT MONEY ONLINE SUMMIT 2026: FREEDOM IS RISING IN LATIN AMERICA! Join the Expat Money Online Summit 2026: Freedom Is Rising In Latin America from October 1-2, where we'll help you learn everything you need to know about crafting a Plan-B centred in the region. We'll cover the geopolitical trends, residency and citizenship programs, the lifestyle on the ground, and so much more over these two jam-packed days. This is a free event open to the entire community. Get your complimentary tickets here: expatmoneysummit.com JOIN OUR TELEGRAM CHANNEL Not everything belongs in an email, so be sure to join our Telegram channel so you can stay up-to-date on the most important expat-related news and information. I highly encourage you all to not only join, but also participate in the discussion. Join here: ExpatMoney.com/Telegram   RELATED EPISODES 426: Estonia: A Lesson in Why Geography Matters 418: Monaco: A Whirlwind Tour of Europe's Exclusive Tax Haven 417: Europe Is Melting, While Latin America Is RisingMentioned in this episode:Governments Hate This TripParaguay doesn't make headlines—and that's exactly what makes it powerful. No wealth tax. No global tax. No chaos. This year, I'm leading a private group into the heart of Latin America's best-kept secret. You'll get boots-on-the-ground access to lawyers, investments, and a second residency most people don't even know exists. Governments hate this strategy—and that's exactly why it works. If you're serious about a real escape plan, go to ExpatMoney.com/Paraguay.Expat Money Online Summit 2026: Freedom is Rising in Latin AmericaJoin the Expat Money Online Summit 2026: Freedom is Rising in Latin America to learn how freedom-minded families can relocate south Of The border, eliminate their taxes, and drink great wine on the beach. Join this jam-packed 2-day event to learn how to launch your Latin-American Plan-B.The Hub—Your Offshore Command CenterIf you're serious about protecting your wealth and securing your freedom, you need more than just information—you need a plan, a network, and the right tools. That's where The Hub comes in. As a member, you'll gain access to exclusive resources, expert consultations, and a community of like-minded individuals all working towards the same goal: sovereignty. Don't navigate the complexities of offshore living alone. Join The Hub today. Visit ExpatMoney.com/membership.Expat Money Paid MembershipParaguay Potential—Your Gateway to Offshore FreedomParaguay is the offshore world's best-kept secret—but not for long. With a booming economy, investor-friendly policies, and a strategic location in South America, it's the perfect place to diversify your portfolio and secure your freedom. That's why I created Paraguay Potential—a free newsletter delivering boots-on-the-ground insights, exclusive investment opportunities, and real-time updates on our projects. Don't miss out on the next big thing. Go to ParaguayPotential.com.Paraguay Potential NewsletterExpat Money Online Summit 2026: Freedom is Rising in Latin AmericaJoin the Expat Money Online Summit 2026: Freedom is Rising in Latin America to learn how freedom-minded families can relocate south Of The border, eliminate their taxes, and drink great wine on the beach. Join this jam-packed 2-day event to learn how to launch your Latin-American Plan-B.

We talk the exercises and moves up to the Baltics and Poland by Belarus.  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_sd2mkol9Y  Channel Support - https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/FGHPVTVAPRUNU Jeff Nyquist - www.jrnyquist.blog Trevor Loudon - www.trevorloudon.com and www.keywiki.org  Lee Wheelbarger - www.klwworldnews.com Follow us on X: @Anderson10x3 @JRNyquist @TrevorLoudon1 @KLWNews1

CAPTION 1894 KREMLINAmerican Embassy Seeks Ukrainian Peace DealGaius and Germanicus: Set in autumn 92 AD in Londinium, the hosts discuss the declining institutions of the modern American empire, drawing historical parallels. They focus first on the Ukraine war, analyzing the recent "embassy" sent by the American emperor, Donald Trump, to Moscow and Kyiv. Germanicus explains this diplomatic mission, consisting of Kushner and Witkoff, was not a true negotiation but a means to convey the emperor's sentiments. The emperor desperately wants to end the conflict because Ukraine is on the verge of collapse. Allowing an imminent collapse while the United States is actively managing deep strikes would result in a massive public humiliation. By securing a ceasefire or peace deal, Trump hopes to fulfill a major campaign promise before the crucial election and free up strategic maneuver room to focus entirely on the conflict in Persia. The proposed peace terms would likely require Ukraine to yield contested territories, including parts of Donbas, Zaporizhzhia, or even the historic prize of Odesa. Germanicus asserts that European client states, including Poland and the Baltics, will ultimately fall in line. Furthermore, Poland might view a Ukrainian collapse as an opportunity to reclaim historic western territories they controlled for many centuries. (1)

“Economic D-Day” might sound like a clean alternative to missiles, but economic war has its own escalation ladder. Today with guest Andrew Day, we break down the Trump administration's reported shift on Iran from overt military action to “Operation Economic Isolation,” and why secondary sanctions, trade pressure, and financial choke points can ricochet into global oil prices, medicine shortages, and the kind of retaliation that turns the Strait of Hormuz into the world's most dangerous bottleneck. We also connect foreign policy to domestic reality. If Iran tensions push gas prices up, voters feel it immediately, and that matters heading into the midterm elections. We talk through why the war's unpopularity shapes messaging in Washington, what polling on inflation signals for Republicans, and why the Democratic Socialists of America are finding momentum in a politics defined by affordability, inequality, and frustration with establishment leadership. From there, we pivot to Russia and Ukraine and the surprise headline of CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveling to Moscow. Is it a warning about a possible Russian test of NATO in the Baltics, a pressure play over Ukraine, or something even stranger? We lay out what's known, what's speculation, and why US credibility keeps taking hits when agreements get signed and then treated like they never mattered. We close with North Korea, Trump's talk of renewed outreach, and why summit-style diplomacy can slide fast from headline-grabbing “deals” into dangerous brinkmanship. If this helped you think more clearly about US foreign policy, sanctions, and diplomatic trust, subscribe, share the episode, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

A historian helps us re-envision Europe's eastern half, from the Baltics to the Balkans, with a lively account of how most of the region's countries have modernized since the Cold War, and of the challenges they face today. And an American-born artist and creative-writing teacher shares her joy of being "Welsh by choice," telling us of Welsh words that describe feelings we don't easily express in English. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visit www.ricksteves.com.

Cześć, dzień dobry!W najnowszym odcinku podcastu „BSS bez tajemnic” rozmawiam z Agnieszką Jagiełką, Chief Commercial Officer Poland & Baltics w firmie ISS, o tym, jak naprawdę wyglądają współczesne biura i czego oczekują od nich pracownicy.Nasza rozmowa opiera się na najnowszym raporcie ISS – „Facility Management Outlook: The Workplace Performance Gap Financial and Professional Services”. Wspólnie przyglądamy się temu, dlaczego tradycyjny open space odchodzi do lamusa i jak nowoczesny Facility Management zmienia się w strategiczne zarządzanie doświadczeniem pracownika (Employee Experience).W tym odcinku znajdziecie odpowiedzi na pytania:·         Dlaczego lojalność pracowników buduje się wokół społeczności, a nie abstrakcyjnego bytu organizacji.·         Jak zróżnicowane potrzeby – od neuroróżnorodności po etapy życia i regionalizację wpływają na projektowanie biur.·         Jaką rolę odgrywają nowoczesne technologie, automatyzacja oraz IoT w optymalizacji kosztów i zarządzaniu przestrzenią.·         Dlaczego wielkie imprezy integracyjne ustępują miejsca mniejszym, ukierunkowanym społecznościowo inicjatywom.·         Czy roboty i automatyczne recepcje całkowicie wyprą człowieka, czy jednak nadal potrzebujemy żywego „dzień dobry”?Zapraszam!  Linki:Raport ISS: https://www.pl.issworld.com/zintegrowane-uslugi-fm-sektor-finansowyISS w Internecie - https://www.issworld.com/Agnieszka Jagiełka na Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/agnieszka-jagielka/    ****************************  Nazywam się Wiktor Doktór i na co dzień prowadzę Klub Pro Progressio https://proprogressio.com/pl/dzialalnosc/klub-pro-progressio/1 – to społeczność wielu firm prywatnych i organizacji sektora publicznego, którym zależy na rozwoju relacji biznesowych w modelu B2B. W podcaście BSS bez tajemnic poza odcinkami solowymi, zamieszczam rozmowy z ekspertami i specjalistami z różnych dziedzin przedsiębiorczości.Zapraszam do odwiedzin moich kanałów na:YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@wiktordoktor Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/wiktor.doktor LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiktordoktor/ Moja strona internetowa - https://wiktordoktor.pl/ Możesz też do mnie napisać. Mój adres email to - kontakt(@)wiktordoktor.pl   ****************************  Patronami Podcastu “BSS bez tajemnic” są: Marzena Sawicka https://www.linkedin.com/in/marzena-sawicka-hillway-training/Przemysław Sławiński https://www.linkedin.com/in/przemys%C5%82aw-s%C5%82awi%C5%84ski-155a4426/ Damian Ruciński - https://www.linkedin.com/in/damian-rucinski/ Szymon Kryczka https://www.linkedin.com/in/szymonkryczka/Grzegorz Ludwin https://www.linkedin.com/in/gludwin/ Adam Furmańczuk https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-agilino/ Igor Tkach - https://www.linkedin.com/in/igortkach/ Damian Wróblewski - https://www.linkedin.com/in/damianwroblewski/ Paweł Łopatka - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawellopatka/ Wiktor Doktór Jr. - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wiktor-dokt%C3%B3r-jr-916297188/Agata Stolarz - https://www.linkedin.com/in/agata-stolarz/Hubert Antczak - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hubert-antczak/  Wspaniali ludzie, dzięki którym pojawiają się kolejne odcinki tego podcastu.  Ty też możesz wesprzeć rozwój podcastu na: Patronite - https://patronite.pl/wiktordoktor Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/wiktordoktor Buy me a coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/wiktordoktor Buycoffee.to - https://buycoffee.to/wiktordoktorBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/bss-bez-tajemnic--4069078/support.

Silicon Bites Ep388 | 2026-08-21 | Something big is happening. NATO filled the Baltic sky this week with aviation assets – what does it mean? These are extraordinary movements of NATO aircraft in the Baltics. Do they constitute exercises, or something more? Deterrence, or moves to counter specific threats from Russia. The debate rages around why Putin may attack or provoke NATO specifically in Europe. Putin's main aims: subjugate Ukraine, destroy the credibility and cohesion of NATO and the EU, and erode the global power and authority of the US. He needs a major provocation to achieve any of these objectives. Of course, he's counting on us to flinch – but if that doesn't work, would he go fully ‘kinetic' and hostile? This episode argues, he already has. ----------SUPPORT THE CHANNEL:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtainhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/scaling-up-campaign-to-fight-authoritarian-disinformation----------TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND:Save Ukrainehttps://www.saveukraineua.org/Superhumans - Hospital for war traumashttps://superhumans.com/en/UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukrainehttps://unbroken.org.ua/Come Back Alivehttps://savelife.in.ua/en/Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchenhttps://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraineUNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyyhttps://u24.gov.ua/Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundationhttps://prytulafoundation.org----------SOURCES:----------

We head to Bangkok as Myanmar’s post-coup leadership arrives for a diplomatic push. What does it mean for a government to gain legitimacy? Then: Rail Baltica brings the Baltics ever closer. Plus: Rob Bound previews ‘Monocle on Culture’.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GPS is the rare piece of infrastructure most of us never think about until it fails — and it is failing more often, in more places, by design. In Little Blue Dot: How GPS Shaped the Modern World, journalist Katherine Dunn traces the system from its Cold War origins — wartime radio beams, Vietnam's precision-bombing problem, the Soviet shock of Sputnik — to its current role underpinning modern life, governing not just where we are but the precise time that keeps power grids, markets, and supply chains in sync. Chris talks with Dunn about how a taxpayer-funded military tool became invisible civilian scaffolding, and how it turned into a battlefield: Russian jamming and spoofing from the Black Sea to the Baltics, ships that appear at airports, a drone war fought over the electromagnetic spectrum, and what it means when certainty itself becomes a target. Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of intelligence, global issues, and current affairs. Order Little Blue Dot: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/little-blue-dot-how-the-global-positioning-system-shaped-the-modern-world-katherine-dunn/c5ae27c07c3864a5 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639734317 Learn more about Katherine on her website: katherinedunn.me/ Connect with Katherine on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katherine-dunn-journalist/ Take our audience survey: https://forms.gle/eFx59XntNtiKzNQa8 Support Secrets and Spies Become a “Friend of the Podcast” on Patreon for £3/$4: https://www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies Buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996 Buy us a coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/secretsandspies Subscribe to our YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg For more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com Connect with us on social media Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.social X/Twitter: https://x.com/SecretsAndSpies Instagram: https://instagram.com/secretsandspies Facebook: https://facebook.com/secretsandspies Spoutible: https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Follow Chris and Matt on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/chriscarrfilm.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/mattfulton.net Secrets and Spies is produced by Films & Podcasts LTD: https://filmsandpodcasts.co.uk/ Music by Andrew R. Bird Photo by Katherine Dunn, Canva Secrets and Spies sits at the intersection of intelligence, covert action, real-world espionage, and broader geopolitics in a way that is digestible but serious. Hosted by filmmaker Chris Carr and writer Matt Fulton, each episode examines the very topics that real intelligence officers and analysts consider on a daily basis through the lens of global events and geopolitics, featuring expert insights from former spies, authors, and journalists.     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send us Fan MailEurope looks peaceful right up until you inventory what's actually ready to fight. After spending months in Europe, Professor Andrew Michta joins us to lay out a sober strategic picture: a continent still disarmed, a defense industrial base that will take years to rebuild, and a NATO alliance split by radically different threat perceptions from the Baltic Sea to the Sahel.We get specific about what modern war is teaching in Ukraine. Drones are changing everything, but Andrew explains why tanks and armor still matter because wars are ultimately decided by mobility and control of terrain. The real breakthrough, he argues, is not just more unmanned systems, but restoring maneuver through electronic warfare and spectrum dominance so soldiers can move without being hunted on a transparent battlefield. We also unpack the hard math behind “arrow vs arrow” economics and what that means for sustainable deterrence.From there, we zoom out to NATO's Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative and the urgent need for allies to take ownership with concrete regional planning, exercises, and capabilities. Andrew connects that to a bigger US problem: a crisis of simultaneity across Europe, the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and Korea, at a time when force structure and supply chains are stretched thin. We close with a plainspoken answer to the question many Americans ask: why should anyone in a town far from Europe care about Poland, Finland, or the Baltics? Because Europe and Eurasia shape US prosperity, shipping lanes, and homeland security, and because strong alliances are how democracies avoid fighting alone.If this conversation sharpens your thinking, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Check out the new Smart Travel PodcastThis episode is supported by Smart Travel a new podcast from Nerd Wallet. Travel smarter — and spend less — with help from NerdWallet. Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.Smart Travel PodcastWinging It On Location – Days 2-3-Tallinn: A Trendy Old Town, Estonian History and Monopoly DealIn this second instalment of my Winging It On Location series from the Baltics, I spend two full days exploring Estonia's capital beyond the first evening impressions. From avocado toast in one of Tallinn's trendiest cafés to a deep dive into the country's Soviet history, this episode blends food, culture, history and the small moments that make a trip memorable.I wander through the cobbled streets of the Old Town in the sunshine, join a free walking tour to learn about Estonia's path to independence, and take in panoramic views across the city. The next day I head out to the seaside district of Pirita, visit the Soviet memorials and cemetery, and reflect on how Estonia preserves difficult parts of its past.There's also excellent coffee, cardamom buns, goulash in a bread bowl, jazz at Philly Joe's, and the beginning of a travel obsession that may last the rest of the trip: Monopoly Deal.If you're considering a European city break that feels safer, quieter and less crowded than many of the continent's major capitals, Tallinn might be the perfect choice.In this episode:Exploring Tallinn's Old Town, cafés and bakeriesLearning about Estonia's history on a free walking tourVisiting Soviet memorials and Pirita BeachJazz, wine and final thoughts on Tallinn as a city breakSupport Winging It Travel PodcastIf you enjoyed this episode:⭐ Leave a 5-star rating or review on your podcast app☕ Support the show at buymeacoffee.com/wingingit

In The Londinium Chronicles, Gaius (John Batchelor) and Germanicus (Michael Vlahos) explore the intersections of Roman history and modern geopolitics.Gaius and Germanicus: The hosts analyze the current "floundering" of the White House and the Kremlin. Germanicus argues the US lacks a "theory of victory" in Iran, mired in a conflict it refuses to settle due to the inability to accept defeat. Simultaneously, he critiques NATO for using Ukraine as a surrogate to bait Russia, noting that small, "inveterately focused" nations like Poland and the Baltics are dragging the US into an unnecessary war. Germanicus describes Europe as a "homunculus"—a helpless dependency attached to the US with no personal agency. He suggests the US remains trapped by the "overhang" of its post-Cold War "super triumph," viewing itself as an Olympian god of war despite failed enterprises in Iraq and Afghanistan. Russia, meanwhile, is characterized as being in "survival mode," seeking to defend its borders against NATO's offensive pressure. (1)SULLA COIN

➡️ Watch the full interview ad-free, join a community of geopolitics enthusiasts and gain access to exclusive content on PATREON: https://dub.sh/Patreon-Ruben-Stewart➡️ Sign up to my free geopolitics newsletter: https://decodinggeopolitics.substack.com/This is a conversation with Ruben Stewart, Senior Fellow for Land Warfare at the IISS, about a a single question: what would happen if Europe had to fight Russia tonight, as it is, entirely without the United States. It's a question that is both an increasingly likely possibility given the continuous withdrawal of the United States from Europe - but that also almost no one has really seriously modelled so far. And so we get into how deep Europe's hidden dependence on America actually runs, how much it would constrain Europe if it had to fight alone and what would that actually look like - from the satellites and intelligence that would leave it half-blind, to the fact that NATO's leadership is by definition mostly made up of American officers. Into why Europe would be forced into a completely different way of fighting than what most European commanders and officials envision or whether it could overcome its own political disunity fast enough to actually put up a fight.

Human settlement goes back thousands of years in the region of the Baltics that would become Lithuania. Like so many Baltic states, it went from being a significant regional power to one that was subjugated by the Soviet Union for decades. This is a proud land that has its own legends and haunted locations. Join us for the history and hauntings of Lithuania. This Month in History features Boris Yeltsin elected. Check out the website: http://historygoesbump.com Show notes can be found here: https://historygoesbump.blogspot.com/2026/07/hgb-ep-647-haunted-lithuania.html Become an Executive Producer: http://patreon.com/historygoesbump Music used in this episode: Main Theme: Creepy Carnival Theme  Created and produced by History Goes Bump Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (This Month in History) "In Your Arms" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/  Pod wiejskim słońcem by Sasha Ende at ende.app Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week we talk about Russia, Ukraine, and the Warsaw Pact.We also discuss Patriot interceptors, Hungary, and Article 5.Recommended Book: The Alternative by Nick RomeoTranscriptThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was founded in the wake of WWII, in 1949, in order to affirm unity between non-Soviet European nations, Atlantic nations like Greenland and Iceland, and the US and Canada, over in North America.The main purpose of this unity was to establish a sort of firewall around the western perimeter of the Soviet Union, which at the time was the only global superpower other than the US, because much of the world, but especially Europe, was struggling to recover from the destruction wrought during the second world war, and the Soviets had made pretty clear that they intended to take over everything: they'd already gobbled up most of their neighbors, creating an increasingly expansive buffer zone of Soviet states around their central, Russian territory, and most of the conflicts still playing out, or threatening to play out, globally at this point were either overt or slightly concealed proxy fights between the capitalist democratic forces of the West and the authoritarian, Stalinist forces of the Eastern Soviet bloc.NATO was thus a wall of nations that said, hey, if you attack any of us, that will mean you're attacking all of us. And that ‘all of us' included the United States, which was the only individual force capable of standing up to the Soviets at this point, due to its massive conventional military force, and the threat posed by its huge, and still growing, nuclear weapons arsenal.The Soviet counter to NATO was called the Warsaw Pact, which formed in 1955, and these rival alliances carved up Europe during the latter half of the 20th century, until the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.As military alliances go, NATO has been fairly successful—Article 5, the portion of the agreement that triggers if a NATO member is attacked, calling the other members to come to their aid, was only activated once, following the terrorist attacks on the US on September 11, 2001; that led to NATO involvement in the US's attacks on Afghanistan in subsequent years, though NATO forces also periodically got involved in other regional conflicts, like the Kosovo War in 1999, and the Libyan Civil War in 2011, in both cases working with the UN to protect civilians from the actions of violent leaders or assailants. But beyond that, no one, including the Soviets, messed with NATO.NATO has since accepted sixteen new member states, and that expansion is one of the supposed rationales for Russian President Putin's invasion of Ukraine. During Putin's first presidency, Russia and NATO had been on pretty solid, even cooperative terms, which had some questioning the point of the treaty, since it was originally formed to counter Russian aggression. In Putin's second presidency, though, things took an antagonistic turn, and when Russia illegally invaded and annexed a part of Ukraine, called Crimea, back in 2014, NATO ceased all cooperation with Russia.When Russian forces launched a full invasion of Ukraine in 2022, NATO suddenly seemed more important than ever, as a reinvigorated Russia, with the stated purpose of, in Putin's words, reclaiming portions of Europe that were previously part of the extended Soviet Union, parts of the Warsaw Pact, that posed a serious threat to just about everyone, especially European nations that border Russia and Russian allies, like Belarus.What I'd like to talk about today is the 2026 meeting of NATO leaders, and the general state of affairs on the ground in Ukraine, as of mid-2026.—Leaders of NATO member nations typically meet for a summit each year, though the schedule varies a bit, depending on the needs of the moment, and whether there are any NATO-relevant crises that might nudge things forward or cause them to be delayed.The 2026 NATO summit was held in Turkey's capitol city, Ankara, on July 7 and 8. It was the second such summit hosted by Turkey, and the 36th NATO summit, overall.This meeting was notable for several reasons, many of them directly related to Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, but also the US's continued ambivalence, at times bordering on active antagonism, toward the treaty, under the Trump administration.Over the course of the past 4 years, Russia has continued to make threats toward the rest of Europe, implying or suggesting that it might have to act militarily against its NATO-member neighbors. During the same period, the US has criticized European NATO member states for not carrying their own weight, most of these nations not spending enough of their GDP on their military and defense infrastructure, in accordance with their treaty obligations, and most more or less relying on the US's military (and nuclear) umbrella to threaten would-be attackers.This has long been the NATO state of affairs, but under the Trump administration, the US made it a point of contention. And though it's been a relatively slow process—it's not easy for a government to pivot toward that scale of remilitarization—these nations have agreed to a 5% of GDP target for defense and defense-related spending by 2035, and in the last year alone, European and Canadian defense spending has increase by 20%; not all of which is immediately convertible into useful, front-line assets and soldiers, but it does represent a significant change to the status quo, which could eventually, in less than a decade, result in a European front-line that's more European and less NATO, for the first time since that immediate post-WWII period.This meeting also featured a reaffirmation of Article 5, which has always been there and in effect, but some analysis has questioned whether NATO allies, including the US, would actually step up if Russia were to attack the Baltics, for instance. This is a seemingly small move that serves to underline that stance of, if you attack one of us, you've attacked all of us, at a moment in which Russia seems to be toying with the idea of picking off pieces of the alliance, to see if they can get away with it, like they did with Crimea back in 2014.There were also announcements related to a fresh $50 billion in defense industry deals, NATO members investing heavily in US-made arms and new assets from elsewhere across the bloc, and a lot of that money is going to drone-war infrastructure and militarized AI models that they hope will prepare NATO for current and next-generation conflicts. Another $217 billion in additional financing commitments from banks across the bloc have also been announced.Ukraine scored some pretty big wins at this year's NATO summit, getting a license from the US to build Patriot interceptors, the lack of which have resulted in big gaps in the country's defense system, and about $80 billion in military equipment, assistance, and training for Ukrainian forces was committed by the bloc. There was also a verbal commitment that NATO and its allies “stand united in our unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.” Which isn't nothing, at a moment in which the US is led by Trump, a person who has frequently sided with Putin in Ukraine-related matters.Ukraine has also signed some bilateral drone deals with NATO member states, reaffirming that Ukraine has become one of the most in-demand experts on this subject, at a moment in which it's becoming clearer and clearer that low-cost, high-impact drones and similar technologies are likely to dominate battlefields for the foreseeable future.There were also some tensions, mostly sparked by Trump, over his administration's desire to buy Greenland, which is not a notion that's supported by anyone else in the bloc, and the lack of NATO support for the US's war in Iran.Overall, though, there was a decent sense of unity and progress, and Ukraine, again, not a NATO member state, but a nation that hopes to eventually join NATO, received a warm welcome and a bunch of support, which hasn't always been the case at recent summits.Part of that warmth is likely the consequence of Ukraine's recent victories on and off the battlefield.Russian continues to pummel Ukrainian cities and kill Ukrainian soldiers and civilians en masse, but Ukraine has managed to keep them from gobbling up territory on scale, and in some recents months, has actually taken territory back. They've also gotten very good at successfully attacking Russian infrastructure, especially energy infrastructure, like oil refineries, cargo tankers, and energy storage facilities, across the entire expanse of Russia; something few experts would have predicted that Ukraine would be capable of doing at the beginning of this conflict. This has dramatically weakened Russia's economy, at least in the short-term.Ukraine now has a thriving defense industry, predicated on the rapid iteration of inexpensive but disproportionately sophisticated arms, especially drones and other aerial weapons, but also autonomous speed boats and other such asymmetric systems. Russia has been frantically upgrading its systems, too, but now that Ukraine has figured out methods for bypassing or overwhelming Russian defenses, it's been able to strike, quickly and repeatedly, high-value targets that have brought the war home to normal Russians who live far from the front lines, even in Moscow. That combined with strategies and weapons that have turned the frontlines into a meat-grinder for Russian soldiers has weighed heavily on Russian morale, at least for those with boots on the ground.As a consequence of those energy infrastructure attacks, the Russian government has been forced to ration some types of energy product—a huge embarrassment for a country that has at times been called a gas station run by a mafia, their energy products are fundamental to who they are, and their economy—and Russians in Crimea, which was taken from Ukraine more than a decade ago, have been fleeing, as this peninsula is close to Ukraine, is part of Ukraine, just occupied by Russia right now, and has several vulnerable arteries through which people and supplies are shipped from Russia, and those arteries have been frequently attacked and are difficult to protect.Ukraine is still persistently on the back foot, then, and still facing an enemy that has essentially every advantage, from money to manpower to foreign support to the size of its arsenal.Against all odds, though, Ukraine continues to not just hold its ground, but to build up its military capabilities, innovate on existing models, and perform high-leverage attacks against its in every way superior invader; which is, in turn, netting it more support from outside allies that have, at times, wavered—and that's especially true of the US under the Trump administration, but until recently the EU's support has also been hamstrung by the recently usurped Hungarian leader, and Putin ally, Viktor Orbán. Following Orbán's ouster, the EU was able to move forward with paused support commitments, though, and while Trump is still holding back on much of the same from the US, there's a chance that more success by Ukraine will continue to tip the balance away from total freeze-out, to more, and more substantial, if perhaps still grudging, support.Show Noteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NATOhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Ankara_NATO_summithttps://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-occupation-update-july-9-2026/https://acleddata.com/monitor/ukraine-conflict-monitorhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Ukrainian_war_(2022%E2%80%93present)https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/world/europe/a-license-to-make-patriot-defense-systems-may-be-a-big-boost-for-ukraine.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/06/world/europe/ukraine-russia-patriot-air-defense.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/07/04/world/europe/ukraine-russia-crimea-war-strikes.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/world/europe/ukraine-patriots-trump-russia.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/08/world/europe/russia-nato-europe-ukraine.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/07/world/europe/nato-trump-rutte-ankara-turkey.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/03/world/europe/putin-ukraine-donbas-battlefield-visit.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/03/world/europe/russia-gas-shortages.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/02/world/europe/russia-ukraine-military-battlefield.htmlhttps://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-oil-trump-zelenskyy-putin-6cb5602f1cf309533ed0cf5c734e19d8https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70yd1g67z5ohttps://www.france24.com/en/russia-bans-oil-exports-as-ukraine-strikes-cause-fuel-shortageshttps://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/ukraine-creates-long-range-military-071810180.htmlhttps://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/10/ukraine-russia-crimea-fuel-oil.htmlhttps://www.dw.com/ru/reuters-rf-perekryla-azovodonskoj-kanal-posle-atak-bpla/a-77913327https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/10/politics/senators-agreement-trump-administration-russia-sanctionshttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jul/10/ukraine-war-briefing-kyiv-reaches-political-agreement-with-us-on-patriot-interceptor-production-licenceshttps://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/09/nato-trump-rutte-ukraine-russia-us-iran.htmlhttps://www.atlanticcouncil.org/dispatches/eleven-takeaways-from-the-nato-summit-in-ankara/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/8/five-key-takeaways-from-the-nato-summit-in-ankarahttps://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/7/8/nato-pledges-70-billion-euros-for-ukraine-as-trump-praises-peace-progress This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

Nine post-Soviet states now sell residency to foreign investors, and Belarus could soon become the first in the former USSR to sell citizenship outright. IMI covers all nine, from the EU passport routes in the Baltics to an underperforming program in Moscow to newer golden visa options in Central Asia.Read the full analysis here.Access a suite of powerful tools and the world's #1 private investor community as an IMI Sovereign. Use code SOV10 for 10% off your first month.

This week on Look Forward, we cover Graham Platner finally withdrawing from Maine's Senate race following a sexual assault allegation and Trump, of all people, is questioning the credibility of the woman making the accusation. Mitch McConnell has not cast a Senate vote since June 11th and has been hospitalized for over three weeks with almost no details released. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear formally demanded a health update, revealing conflicting accounts about whether McConnell suffered cardiac arrest. With Republicans holding a razor-thin 53-47 majority, his absence carries real consequences.The Iran war ceasefire has collapsed again. Russia may be planning a "provocation" in the Baltics or Poland. Trump's new "Freedom Fuel" gas stations are being promoted as a patriotic price-cutting miracle except nobody can explain how 25 stations are selling gas 50 cents below wholesale cost, and taxpayers may be quietly footing the bill for his own PR stunt.Plus: Mamdani gets attacked for suggesting a reasonable thermostat setting, Trump denies disaster relief to states that voted against him, his suspiciously timed stock trades resurface, and Nigel Farage's populist gamble gets taken on by a bin.Look Forward is a weekly progressive political podcast covering U.S. politics, government policy, Democratic strategy, elections, voting rights, Supreme Court rulings, and political news. Featuring progressive commentary, political analysis, and unapologetic opinions on the fight for democracy. Hosted by Jay and Brad. A TNP Studios production. New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and all major platforms. For more TNP Studios content, check out The Nerdpocalypse (movie & TV news), Black on Black Cinema (Black film reviews), and Dense Pixels (video game news).

NATO's future remains in doubt as Donald Trump again threatens to pull U.S. troops from Europe. But the practical stakes of these debates aren't always clear. What military capabilities does Europe stand to lose? How long would it take to replace them? And how might Russia exploit any gap?  Sophia Besch, a German expert on European defense policy who has worked inside NATO, joins The World Unpacked to explore U.S. pullout scenarios — up to and including Russian attacks on the Baltics. She and host Jon Bateman dig into Europe's historic rearmament, its chance to invent a new way of war, and why peace in Ukraine could unleash new dangers.  Find the episode transcript and streaming audio, and get the show direct to your inbox, here: https://carnegieendowment.org/preview/podcasts/the-world-unpacked/how-europe-fights-russia-without-the-us  Host: Follow Jon on X: https://x.com/JonKBateman  Guest: Sophia Besch: https://x.com/SophiaBesch

Behind the political theatre $50bn worth of procurement plans were announced at the NATO summit, from artillery shells to airlift and space capabilities.Sitrep explains who's buying what and why with the help of the UK's first Director of Joint Warfare, retired Air Marshal Greg Bagwell.Professor Michael Clarke assesses whether this will improve Europe's defences, or simply turn into a game of whack-a-mole filling gaps left by the US. And the alliance has rebranded its air-policing mission in the Baltics to “air-defence”. What practical difference does that make, and will it require the RAF to contribute more?

As NATO leaders gather for the annual summit in Turkey today, the thorniest issue is off the agenda: fractures within the alliance. Our correspondent travels to the Baltics, where a strategic shift is already evident. First there was vibe coding, now vibe lawyering is coming to courtrooms. And day two of our great American roadtrip down Route 66.  Guests and host:Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editorAnna Kerr, senior audience editorJon Fasman, senior culture correspondentRosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: NATO, Ukraine, AnkaraVibe lawyering, vibe coding, courtroomRoute 66, CaliforniaListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As NATO leaders gather for the annual summit in Turkey today, the thorniest issue is off the agenda: fractures within the alliance. Our correspondent travels to the Baltics, where a strategic shift is already evident. First there was vibe coding, now vibe lawyering is coming to courtrooms. And day two of our great American roadtrip down Route 66.  Guests and host:Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editorAnna Kerr, senior audience editorJon Fasman, senior culture correspondentRosie Blau, co-host of “The Intelligence”Jason Palmer, co-host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: NATO, Ukraine, AnkaraVibe lawyering, vibe coding, courtroomRoute 66, CaliforniaListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—subscribe to The Economist.For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Day 1,589.Russia's fuel crisis continues, to the intense frustration of ordinary Russians, and to the delight of Ukrainians, who are trolling Russians by flooding a fuel availability app with fake reviews. After Ukraine's attack on the NORSI oil refinery in Kstovo, 800km inside Russia, Alex Nichol reports on how Kyiv is shutting down more energy facilities in occupied areas. Adelie dives into reports that Moscow is planning an attack on Poland and the Baltics to test Nato. Plus, authorities in Germany have just accused Kyiv of sanctioning the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline attack. Finally we hear from Dr Jade McGlynn, occupied territories expert, on what comes next for Crimea – isolation or liberation?Contributors:Adelie Pojzman-Pontay (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @Adeliepjz on X.Alex Nichol (Telegraph journalist).Dr Jade McGlynn (Occupied Territories Expert, King's College London).Producer: Rachel PorterSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O'SullivanSocial Producer: Tom SteedStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:Russia planning attack on Poland to test Nato resolve, US warns (The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/03/russia-planning-attack-on-poland-test-nato-resolve-us-warns/Ukrainian refugees face eviction amid Poland and Kyiv spat (The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/07/02/ukrainian-refugees-face-eviction-amid-poland-kyiv-spat/EU shipyard races to service Putin's LNG fleet before sanctions bite (Politico)https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-shipyard-races-to-service-russia-vladimir-putin-lng-fleet-before-sanctions-bite/The ‘Waze of Petrol', according to Dr Jade McGlynnhttps://estbenzin.ru/Ukrainian Digital Media Archivehttps://duma.org.ua/EMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.Thumbnail image credit: Unmanned Systems Forces of UkraineHIGHLIGHTS:Russia planning attack on Poland to test Nato, US warns as Ukraine strikes shut down oil refineries in occupied territories Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this edition of The World According to Irina Tsukerman, the bi-weekly geopolitical series on The KAJ Masterclass LIVE, host Khudania Ajay (KAJ) examines a series of fragile agreements and escalating tensions across multiple fronts with Irina Tsukerman, a US-based national security and human rights lawyer, renowned geopolitical analyst, and Editor-in-Chief of The Washington Outsider. Together, they explore the rapidly evolving Iran-US situation, the trilateral Israel-Lebanon-US framework agreement and whether it can truly disarm Hezbollah, the deepening Poland-Ukraine diplomatic feud, Russian provocation warnings in the Baltics, and Trump's planned 2027 India visit announced far in advance.

Day 1,585.After a weekend that saw Ukraine's Constitution Day celebrated with yet more lengthy queues at petrol stations in Russia and Crimea – a situation not helped by Russian oil refineries continuing to self-sanction – Putin shrugs that these ‘difficult' days are just a speed bump on the road to inevitable victory. Dom and Francis ponder on Alexander Lukashenko's slightly odd weekend jaunt to China via Putin's lakeside retreat in Valdai – at least we now know what all the extra air defence was shipped in for – and ask, is he looking for a new best friend? And finally, after news of a mass shooting in the northern German city of Stade, they speak to Berlin correspondent James Rothwell who has been reporting on NATO preparations for a possible future Battle of the Baltics.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.James Rothwell (Berlin Correspondent). @JamesERothwell on X.Producer: Rachel PorterSenior Producer: Lilian FawcettVideo Producer: Sophie O'SullivanSocial Producer: Gabby ColvinStudio Director: Meghan SearleExecutive Editor: Francis DearnleyCreated by David KnowlesNOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:Putin: Russia is facing problems in Ukraine war (The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/28/putin-russia-is-facing-problems-in-ukraine-war/ Nato prepares for the Battle of the Baltics (James Rothwell for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/23/nato-prepares-battle-baltics/ We're ready to fight Russia tonight, vows head of German air force (James Rothwell for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/15/luftwaffe-chief-warns-russia-german-ready-to-fight-for-nato/ How German trains became the shame of a nation (James Rothwell for The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/28/how-german-trains-became-the-shame-of-a-nation/ Germany considers return of military conscription (The Telegraph)https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/06/27/germany-considers-compulsory-conscription-defence-russia/ Turkey Offers to Host Ukraine-Russia Peace Talks (Kyiv Post)https://www.kyivpost.com/post/79139 Putin Says Expecting US Negotiators Once US Less Busy With Iran (Kyiv Post)https://www.kyivpost.com/post/79177 Serbian President Vučić says he will resign within ‘weeks' (Politico)https://www.politico.eu/article/serbian-president-vucic-says-he-will-resign-within-weeks/ Stray Ukraine drones worth the price of hitting Russia, says Estonian minister (Financial Times)https://www.ft.com/content/f487526b-9646-456b-bccb-001f31090919?syn-25a6b1a6=1 EMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk. We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many as possible.HIGHLIGHTS:Putin confesses 'problems' in Ukraine war for first timeReports of fuel hoarding across Russia after long-range Ukrainian strikes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Breaking Battlegrounds, Sam Stone hosts while Chuck Warren is out of studio for a packed episode covering artificial intelligence, personal autonomy, NATO's eastern flank, government fraud, gun rights, true crime, and the economy. First, Dr. Keith Ablow joins the show to discuss the psychological impact of AI technologies like ChatGPT and what happens when people outsource creativity, critical thinking, and even their sense of reality to machines. Dr. Ablow is a New York Times bestselling author, mental health expert, and co-founder of Help22. He has appeared across national media to discuss psychology, culture, and personal growth. He also runs Pain-2-Power, a counseling and life coaching platform focused on personal and organizational empowerment. Dr. Ablow warns that technological dependence can weaken individual autonomy, increase groupthink, and make it harder for people to stay grounded in truth. Follow Dr. Keith Ablow on X @keithablow Check out his counseling and life coaching platform dedicated to personal and organizational empowerment Pain-2-Power: www.pain-2-power.com Then, Alex Welz of the Washington Free Beacon joins Sam to share what he learned from his recent trip to NATO's eastern flank, including Finland, the Baltics, and Poland. Welz explains how Ukraine's resilience has shifted the center of gravity inside NATO, why Eastern Europe is taking security more seriously, and how Russia, China, and Iran are all influencing the region's future. Follow Alex Welz on X @WelzAlex Later, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen joins the show to discuss his participation in the Trump administration's Anti-Fraud Roundtable, the fight against Medicaid and federal program fraud, Biden-era gun policies, cooperation with ICE, and Montana's new citizenship marker program for driver's licenses and ID cards. You can follow Attorney General Austin Knudsen on X @MTAGKnudsen In B's Crime Corner, B breaks down the 1997 Heaven's Gate cult suicide, where 39 members died in a California mansion after leaving behind exit interviews, detailed instructions, and one of the most disturbing chapters in modern true crime history. Finally, Gary Gygi of Gygi Capital joins Sam to talk about inflation, work-from-home policies, productivity, and the future of SpaceX and Starlink. You can follow Gary Gygi on X @GaryGygi Website: gygicapital.com Listen now to Breaking Battlegrounds for conversations on Arizona politics, campus unrest, election integrity, national campaigns, and the true crime cases everyone is talking about. Tune in to Breaking Battlegrounds, the radio show covering the latest news, politics, culture, crime, and the stories shaping America. Catch Breaking Battlegrounds live on 960 AM in Phoenix every Saturday at 9:00 AM, with full episodes and exclusive podcast-only segments dropping every Friday wherever you get your podcasts or watch on Youtube. Stay connected with Breaking Battlegrounds: • Substack: https://substack.com/@breakingbattlegrounds • Website: https://breakingbattlegrounds.vote • News: https://breakingbattlegrounds.news • X: https://x.com/breaking_battle • Instagram: @breakingbattlegrounds • Facebook: Breaking Battlegrounds If you enjoy the show, please leave us a 5-star review and share it with a friend. Your support helps keep the podcast growing. Breaking Battlegrounds is one of the top 2.5% most popular shows out of 3,779,399 podcasts globally. We interview policymakers, elected officials, and nationally and world-recognized reporters about the opportunities and hurdles the United States faces

Anatol Lieven discusses NATO's top US commander, General Grynkewich, who states Russia is not looking for conflict despite European concerns about US military withdrawals. Lieven agrees, noting that the Russian army is bogged down in Ukraine, making a deliberate attack on NATO members like the Baltics appear militarily absurd. (1)1919

SCHEDULE JOHN BATCHELOR SHOW, 6-11-26.1900 BRUSSELSAnatol Lieven discusses NATO's top US commander, General Grynkewich, who states Russia is not looking for conflict despite European concerns about US military withdrawals. Lieven agrees, noting that the Russian army is bogged down in Ukraine, making a deliberate attack on NATO members like the Baltics appear militarily absurd. (1)Anatol Lieven examines rising anti-immigrant tensions in the United Kingdom, where violent demonstrations in Belfastand England highlight growing public anger toward sudden demographic changes and crimes allegedly committed by asylum seekers. Lieven suggests these tensions are politically explosive, potentially forcing a leadership change in the Labour Party if right-wing parties continue to gain ground. (2)Leila Philip discusses the ancient Algonquin legend of Great Beaver, an environmental parable about resource hoarding and the creation of the Connecticut River Valley. The story reflects traditional ecological knowledge, emphasizing the beaver's immense power to control the water cycle and shape resilient landscapes. (3)Cliff May argues that Qatar utilizes its vast energy wealth to buy influence through professional sports, media platforms like Al Jazeera, and university campuses. He argues these investments allow the state to manipulate Western academic discourse and hedge political bets while hosting major US military assets. (4)Jack Burnham discusses China and North Korea's strategic alignment, noting that Xi Jinping's festive visit to Pyongyang signals China's willingness to de-emphasize denuclearization in favor of regional stability and strategic balancing against the US. North Korea, now an "arsenal of tyranny," leverages its military experience from the Ukrainian front lines to strengthen its regime. (5)Jack Burnham examines the Pentagon's 1260H list, which identifies Chinese companies allegedly assisting the PRC's military-industrial base, signaling increased regulatory scrutiny for these entities. Burnham recommends streamlining government lists to prevent companies from exploiting gaps and advises retail investors of the national security risks these firms pose. (6)Andrea Ferrara describes using the James Webb Space Telescope to investigate a mysterious red light source initially thought to be the most distant galaxy. By observing luminosity changes over two years, he determined it is likely a rare pair-instability supernova, resulting from the explosion of a massive primordial star. (7)Andrea Ferrara proposes building a 40-meter telescope on the lunar surface to succeed the James Webb Space Telescope. This moon-based facility would avoid atmospheric interference, allowing scientists to directly detect the universe's first stars and resolve long-standing mysteries regarding the aftermath of the Big Bang. (8)Mickey Trescott explains that autoimmune diseases occur when the body's immune system attacks its own organs, a condition affecting a high percentage of women. The protocol is a diet and lifestyle experiment designed to help individuals identify personal triggers and manage their chronic health symptoms. (9)Mickey Trescott describes how the core autoimmune protocol involves a strict 30-to-90-day elimination phase removing common triggers like grains, dairy, and nightshades. This "detective work" calms the immune system, allowing patients to systematically reintroduce foods to discover which specific ingredients negatively impact their health. (10)Mickey Trescott introduces a modified autoimmune protocol that includes rice and coffee, making it more accessible and affordable than the core version. A successful transition requires tracking baseline symptoms and preparing the kitchen to handle the nutritional demands of the upcoming elimination and reintroduction phases. (11)Mickey Trescott emphasizes consuming nutrient-dense foods like bone broth and fatty fish to resolve inflammation and support the microbiome. During reintroduction, patients identify specific food "villains" by monitoring symptom flare-ups, ultimately empowering them to choose a diet that maintains their long-term vitality. (12)Evan Ellis discusses Bolivia's severe instability as blockades led by supporters of Evo Morales disrupt the capital's supply of food and oxygen. Morales is described as a dangerous figure using cocaine-related funds to destabilize the democratically elected government, posing a significant risk to regional US allies. (13)Evan Ellis highlights a razor-thin election in Peru between Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sanchez, exposing deep national divisions over corruption and wealth distribution. The outcome is geopolitically significant, as China already maintains a massive foothold in Peru through control of critical infrastructure, including major ports, mines, and electricity. (14)Evan Ellis notes how public frustration with rising crime and President Petro's "total peace" plan has fueled the rise of hardline political candidates in Colombia. As the country grapples with internal conflict, many Colombians seek a "strong hand" to restore security, mirroring historical law-and-order movements seen in neighboring South Americannations. (15)Evan Ellis discusses how a banking scandal involving Flavio Bolsonaro has impacted Brazilian polls, giving Lula da Silva a temporary lead. Meanwhile, El Salvador's President Bukele remains highly popular due to a dramatic security transformation that has revitalized urban life, despite international concerns regarding due process and human rights. (16)Four name/term corrections: (1) Grinkovich → Grynkewich (General Alexus Grynkewich, current SACEUR) (2) Labor Party → Labour Party (UK spelling per house style) (3) Laya Philip → Leila Philip (the actual author of Beaverland) (6) 126H list → 1260H list (Section 1260H of the NDAA — the standard reference)

After Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury in late 2024 for the heavyweight championship, the Ukrainian boxer held up a sabre that once belonged to the 17th Century Ukrainian Cossack Hetman,  Ivan Mapeza, who this episode is dedicated to.    Usyk's fortitude spoke to Ukraine's resilience against a larger foe who initiated the type of vainglorious War Tolstoy condemns, with all of his soul, in W&P.Showcasing the weapon was a transcendent moment of Usyk bringing history to Life.  This ability is something Tolstoy shares given who often he reaches into the past to make literary points. In W&P, for example, Tolstoy cites the Classical world and more recent influences. He skillfully adapts the famous quote from Voltaire: "If god did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him." The Frenchman also had a well-known correspondence with Catherine II, who some of W&P's characters look to as illustrative of an idealized past. Yet part of her reputation involves keeping so many under serfdom. Voltaire urged her to release her serfs.Quite forgotten is how Voltaire contributed to Mazepa becoming an icon of the Romantic age. Victor Hugo, Lord Byron & Franz List, also elevated Mazepa to a status Tolstoy himself briefly references in his 1857 work “Youth.” Tolstoy wrote that if he reaches the age of 70, he envisions that a lovely young woman could love him as easily as she could love….a Mazeppa.Mazepa was born to a noble Cossack family near Kyiv. His father was a town otaman (leader) and his mother instilled in her son a deep devotion to God and Cossack culture. Mazepa received a European education and served at the Polish royal court.  While quite young, he is said to have fallen in love with the wife of a Polish nobleman and to have been punished through being tied to a wild horse and carried back to the Land of the Cossacks, where he was adopted by one of their communities and rose to leader.  He was Hetman from 1687 – 1709.    Mazepa remains a key figure in Ukrainian-Russian relations given he decided to turn his allegiance to Sweden over the Czar during  the Great Northern War. This conflict was fought between Sweden and an anti-Swedish coalition led by Moscow. This intermittent affair lasted about 20 years and involved control over Northern Europe and the Baltics.  Sweden initially did well causing Peter to move his troops inward and draw Charles to invade.The conflict made its way to Mazepa's Cossacks,  whose status and allegiance greatly changed over the previous generation. Since 1654, many were uneasy allies with the Czar after withdrawing support for Poland.  They now felt subject to excessive demands for troops to be used in projects like building canals and fortresses, where they could be worked to sickness and death and used as proverbial “cannon fodder”Thus, in 1708, Mazepa aligned with Charles, giving him 5,000 Cossacks.  Mazepa felt he was choosing the lesser of two evils. Later that year, there was a race of belligerents to Mazepa's home city of Baturyn.  20,000 Russian soldiers commanded by Alexander Menshikov overwhelmed this military arsenal and food store. When the city fell, there was this infamous slaughter of the civilian population.   A number were tied to makeshift crosses or boards and floated down the local river.The next summer, on June  27, 1709, the armies faced off near Poltava, where Peter & Charles were on-hand directing troops. The Czar prevailed and this turn in history explains why Sweden never became a great power. This battle also had a major role in propelling Russia to their status. Yet that fire in the hearts of Ukrainians for independence was not extinguished over the next few centuries. Today, a Ukrainian state exists which exacts quite the toll on Russian aggression.  Ukrainians revere Mazepa for making the best choice he could.Mazepa was excommunicated from the Russian Orthodox Church and Czar Peter also ordered all portraits of the man destroyed. Similarly, Tolstoy,  was separated from the Orthodox Church in 1901 through a Church Proclamation.  Tolstoy's writing on religion led to the church to declare him as a “false teacher” imbued with “intellectual pride.”   This leads me to the second reference to I have found from Tolstoy on Mazppa, which is the  book “Life of Tolstoy” by Tolstoy's long-time English friend and translator,  Alymer Maude.  Maude describes how Tolstoy studied the life of Mazepa upon a friendly wager as a law student.

The number of inter-state conflicts around the world doubled in 2025 compared to the previous year, we discuss why. Then: why does the majority of Europe no longer see the US as an ally? Plus: the Baltics join financial forces and Alexis Bittar on buying back his jewellery business. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

 Today's show starts with review of latest US GDP, inflation and income numbers showing inflation accelerating and GDP slowing sharply in latest 2nd GDP numbers. Rest of show focuses on dangerous new events in the Ukraine war as Europe pushes drone attacks deep inside Russia and Russia public opinion demands more aggressive action by Putin. Russia warns 'get out of Kiev' as something big coming soon. Russia talks directly about attacking Baltics sites where drones are being launched into northern Russia and warns will target drone production in the EU. EU NATO political leaders keep saying they're preparing for war with Russia inevitably by 2030. 

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss prospect of a US-Iran ceasefire deal after both sides exchange fire; Israel ramps up strikes on Hezbollah in South Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza; Russia pounds Ukraine, warning foreigners to leave Kyiv lest they be targeted as a Russian drone overshoots Ukraine to hit an apartment building in Romania; Moscow ramping up of threats and intimidation against the Baltics as America shifts its force posture in Europe and reduce capabilities devoted to NATO; Ukraine's decision to buy Saab's Gripen fighter as Stockholm opts for French frigates and Canada buys Swedish radar planes; what to expect from the International Institute for Strategic Studies' 24th annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore; South Korea's decision to pursue nuclear attack submarines; the Quad — America, Australia, India and Japan — launches its first security organization, the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Cooperation Initiative; and the latest rift between the Israel and the UN.

In this explosive episode, Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna delivers a stark warning about Russia's growing instability and the escalating battle over the Baltic Sea. He explains how Moscow accidentally exposed its direct ties to the shadow fleet used to evade sanctions, why Russia is reacting “painfully” to Ukrainian deep strikes, and why Putin may now be more vulnerable than at any point since the war began. Tsahkna also discusses NATO, the weakening Russian economy, rising tensions inside the Kremlin, disinformation operations targeting the Baltics, and why Europe believes strategic patience, not rushed negotiations, is the key to ending the war.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Live May 27, 2026 | Yaron Brook Show(Season 12, Episode 94)Deal?; Fraud; Paxton Win; Immigration & Trust; Russia War; Speech EU; Achievement | Yaron Brook ShowIran Deal Disaster, Immigration Myths, NATO Panic & the Fight for Free Speech | Yaron Brook UnfilteredIs the Iran “deal” already collapsing before it even begins? Is the West sleepwalking into weakness, censorship, and economic decline? And why are politicians obsessed with billionaires and “fraud” while ignoring the real drivers of prosperity?In this explosive episode of The Yaron Brook Show, Yaron tears into Trump's Iran strategy, the growing risks of nuclear proliferation, Europe's crackdown on free speech, immigration myths, rent control insanity, and the disturbing inability of the West to defend liberty with confidence.Plus: the return of the Human Achievement segment featuring breakthroughs in cancer treatment, food innovation, dementia decline, and brain-aging research that prove human progress is still alive.Watch now: https://youtube.com/live/Rp4dsvOkVdETimestamps00:00 – Introduction: Is the Iran deal already doomed?02:34 – Saudi fears and geopolitical uncertainty05:35 – Iran's military actions and regional instability06:25 – Trump, the Abraham Accords, and American weakness11:41 – Why Trump's Iran policy may backfire14:51 – Israel's military actions in Gaza and Lebanon19:35 – US weakness, military spending, and global consequences22:04 – Nuclear proliferation risks among US allies24:05 – Is America repeating pre-WWII mistakes?27:59 – Billionaires, immigration, and political scapegoating30:16 – Stephen Miller, fraud claims, and government waste35:06 – Illegal immigrants and Social Security realities40:57 – Immigration panic vs economic reality45:17 – Ken Paxton's victory and the future of the Right51:58 – Could Russia invade the Baltics?58:33 – Europe's military capabilities vs Russia1:00:02 – Europe's hate speech convictions and censorship1:05:12 – The growing battle for free speech1:06:01 – Sponsor: HumanProgress.org1:07:31 – Human achievement: food innovation & abundance1:11:42 – Nutrition breakthroughs transforming humanity1:14:16 – Advances in cancer research and treatment1:17:03 – Brain-aging reversal nasal spray research1:19:00 – Why dementia rates are decliningLive Audience Questions1:21:44 – Why the achievement segment matters more than ever1:28:52 – Did Mamdani accidentally destroy the case for rent control?1:31:22 – Why does altruism so often become cruelty?1:32:53 – Why can't the West find an alternative to fascism or the left?1:34:01 – Marbella, Spain: proof capitalism still works in Europe?1:36:41 – What would President JD Vance actually do?1:38:16 – NYC housing collapse: economics strikes again1:38:52 – Is East of Eden worth reading today?1:39:57 – “If you're lonely when alone…” — what does it mean?1:40:13 – Is Ayn Rand popular in China or Japan?1:41:28 – Why viewers love the Human Achievement segment1:41:33 – Beauty, cars, and appreciating civilization1:42:38 – Irish folk techno and the “Waymo Jig”1:43:01 – Are Ukrainian drone strikes changing the war?1:43:44 – Could a world government ever protect liberty?1:44:32 – The Austrian critique of communism explainedSee pinned comment for more questions.#IranDeal #Trump #Immigration #FreeSpeech #RussiaUkraineWar #NATO #Capitalism #HumanAchievement #AynRandThe Yaron Brook Show is Sponsored by[The Ayn Rand Institute](https://www.aynrand.org/starthere)[Energy Talking Points, featuring AlexAI, by Alex Epstein](https://alexepstein.substack.com/)[Express VPN](https://www.expressvpn.com/yaron)[Hendershott Wealth Management](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4lfC...) &(https://hendershottwealth.com/ybs/)[Michael Williams & The Defenders of Capitalism Project](https://www.DefendersOfCapitalism.com)[Support the Show]( / yaronbrookshow )[Sponsor the Show](askyaron@yaronbrookshow.com/)[One-time donation](https://bit.ly/2RZOyJJ)Join the [Yaron Brook Show YouTube channel]( / @yaronbrook )Like what you hear? Like, share, and subscribe to stay updated on new videos and help promote the [Yaron Brook Show](https://bit.ly/3ztPxTx)Continue the discussion by following Yaron on [Twitter](https://bit.ly/3iMGl6z) and [Facebook](https://bit.ly/3vvWDDC )Want to learn more about Ayn Rand and Objectivism? Visit the [Ayn Rand Institute](https://bit.ly/35qoEC3)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/yaron-brook-show--3276901/support.Yaron is the executive chairman of the Ayn Rand Institute and a world class speaker. He is the coauthor of the national best-seller Free Market Revolution: How Ayn Rand's Ideas Can End Big Government, Equal is Unfair: America's Misguided Fight Against Income Inequality and In Pursuit of Wealth: The Moral Case for Finance. He speaks around the world on a variety of topics including the morality of capitalism, Ayn Rand and her philosophy, finance and economics, and the value of inequality.

In Part 1 of our massive 2.30 Double-Feature, we aren't looking at the frontlines—we are looking at the multi-organ failure of the Russian state. Terminal gangrene has set in.While Washington think-tanks and Senator Marco Rubio panic over a conventional Russian ground invasion of the Baltics, the reality on the ground is mathematically absurd. We kick things off by roasting the American hockey machine (Latvia 4, USA 2) before diving into the absolute, sweating desperation of the Kremlin. From dropping $80-million "Oreshnik" tungsten crowbars on Ukrainian garages, to the eradication of 25% of Russia's oil refining capacity, the empire is bankrupting itself.We break down the Chinese betrayal in Beijing, the Russian oligarchs begging the FSB for "rules," the looming bank run outlined by Igor Lipsits, and the absolute mutiny happening in the comments of the heavily censored Yandex Dzen. The social contract is dead, and the elites are fighting over the pirate treasure while the ship goes down.The Eastern Border is an entirely independent, listener-supported journalism project operating 22km from the Russian border. If you want to keep the servers humming and the moonshine flowing, please consider supporting us:Become our patron:https://www.patreon.com/theeasternborderMerch store + another option for memberships:https://theeasternborder-shop.fourthwall.com/Follow what's going on here in the very border of Eastern Europe:https://bsky.app/profile/theeasternborder.lvDownload all episodes for free on our website; pictures accompanying certain episodes can be found there as well!http://theeasternborder.lv/Donate to the Ukrainian army so that they can get the trucks that they need:https://car4ukraine.com/Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Defense & Aerospace Report Washington Roundtable, sponsored by L3Harris, Dr. Patrick Cronin of the Hudson Institute think tank, Michael Herson of American Defense International, former DoD Europe chief Jim Townsend of the Center for a New American Security, and former Pentagon Comptroller Dr. Dov Zakheim of the Center for Strategic and International Studies join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss outlook for reconciliation as Senate GOP lawmakers rebelled against President Trump's $1.8 billion fund to compensate allies prosecuted for their actions and $1 billion to pay for a new White House ballroom after the president backed Ken Paxton over Sen. John Cornyn in Texas and Sen. Bill Cassidy lost his Louisiana primary in Louisiana; prospect of a deal between Washington and Tehran as Iran continues efforts to formalize its control over the Strait of Hormuz; Vladimir Putin's escalating provocations against the Baltics as Washington reconsiders its obligations to NATO and shifts troops in Europe; reverberations of Trump's summit with Xi Jinping as the Chinese leader hosted Putin; Washington's move to shift more operational control to South Korea as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Taikichi hold a landmark meeting; Seoul and New Delhi strike a security agreement as Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Rome to ink another security deal; and Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would evict Palestinian Bedouins from a West Bank village in retaliation for an ICC warrant seeking his arrest.

Washington warns Moscow over its escalating rhetoric toward Latvia as Nato’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, rejects Russia’s claims that Baltic states could soon allow Ukrainian drone attacks from their territories. Plus: how rebel groups and Isis-backed insurgents are hampering efforts to contain the new Ebola outbreak.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the conflict between the West and Putin's Russia escalates without guardrails, would the Kremlin dare to launch a military incursion into NATO territory in coming years? With the mercurial Donald Trump at the helm of NATO's most consequential power, how might NATO react to an attack against a member state? These were the questions addressed in a German war game, Ernstfall, co-hosted by Die Welt newspaper and the German Wargaming Center, which has sparked a lively policy debate inside NATO. Alexander Gabuev, who played Vladimir Putin in the exercise, is joined by the two main architects of the war game to take listeners backstage and discuss the making of Ernstfall and its policy implications. Check out the Politico article about the war game, and read Alex Gabuev's New York Times piece about it here. Excerpts from the Ernstfall podcast are copyrighted by Die Welt and are reproduced here with permission. Listen to that podcast here.

Trumps disastrous foreign policy on Iran and Ukraine isolates the U.S and the UK!In this latest Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen talks to distinguished defence expert, Phillips O'Brien from St. Andrews University, about military developments in Ukraine and Iran, focusing on how drone technology is changing the nature of warfare. Phillips explains how Ukraine's use of cheap, mass-produced drones has transformed battlefield dynamics, making traditional heavy armour systems obsolete and causing significant Russian casualties. Phillips and Nick discuss Trump's Iran strategy, with Phillips analysing Trump's psychological dependence on Putin and his desire for a quick military victory that hasn't materialised. They also examine the declining U.S.-Israel relationship in American politics and discussed Britain's post-Brexit foreign policy challenges, particularly regarding the special relationship with the United States and potential rejoining of the European Union.The so-called Special Relationship" is dead - The UK's sucking up to the U.S. will achieve nothing!Phillips says, "King's Charles' visit, sadly, might've unfortunately turned the clock back to make people believe that the special relationship still exists when it doesn't. That, Britain's future security wise and political wise is in Europe and the Europeans now are far more down that road."The Germans now are, are understanding that the United States is not reliable, not trustworthy, and Europeans have to look after themselves. States like the Baltics, the Nordics, all of them are farther down this road. The British might have been going down this road."I'm not sure they will now after the the Charles visit, but hopefully they, they do, because that is something Britain has to admit. Brexit was a disaster. It was stupid. It weakened Britain. It's put it outside of the tent. For now. Britain has to try and get inside the European tent because that's where its future is."Read all about it!Read Phillips' own regular Substack column - Phillips's Newsletter. Phillips is also professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews.Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 regular Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond is another must-read. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we talk about the Strait of Hormuz, oil, and Russia.We also discuss Patriot missiles, expensive weapons, and peer rivals.Recommended Book: Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le CunffTranscriptDuring 2025 and early 2026, about 20 million barrels of crude oil and other petroleum products was shipped through the Strait of Hormuz every day. That's about a quarter of the world's total seaborne oil, and essentially all of that oil, and gas, and those other energy products that pass through this strait are from Middle Eastern suppliers like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Iran.Beginning at the tail-end of February 2026, however, the Iranian military has shut down the Strait by threatening to take out or capture any vessels that attempt to pass through it. This has had the practical effect of initially reducing tanker traffic through the Strait by about 70%, but in recent weeks traffic has dropped to nearly zero. As of April 2026, about 2,000 ships are stranded in the area as a result of this closure.As a result of this shutdown, though, other energy product suppliers have seen demand for their oil and gas and the like increase, and that's led to higher prices for these products.Russia, for instance, which doesn't rely on the Strait to get its oil and gas out to its customers, has seen its oil tax revenue double in April, and the price of one grade of oil that it sells increased by 73% from February, alone.That's a big windfall for Russia, which has had trouble selling its oil and gas at a significant profit, due in part to heavy sanctions that have resulted from its invasion of Ukraine. It's continued to sell to countries like China and India, but those customers have been able to pay lower prices due to the lessened demand for what Russia is selling.This increased demand has thus goosed profits for Russia at a moment in which it could really use those sorts of profits—its economy is not doing terribly well, again because of its invasion of Ukraine, which has also not been going terribly well—so while inflation caused by this gas price-spike has been near-universally not great for much of the world, because energy cost increases tend to increase the price of just about everything, Russia's government, at least, has been pretty happy with the shutdown of the Strait, and would probably love to see it continue.Another moderate benefactor of this shutdown has been the United States government. The US is the number one exporter of liquified natural gas, and one of the top exporters of oil and petroleum products. US export numbers are poised to hit new records with the closure of the Strait, too, because, just like with Russia, fewer products of this kind available on the global market means those who have such products to sell can charge higher prices for them.There's a good chance this disruption, even if it ended today, for good, will have permanently rewired at least some of the global petroleum industry, as companies and countries that have been left in the lurch have adjusted their risks analyses and determined that it makes more sense to buy from different suppliers, to sell to different customers, or, in some cases, to use fewer of these products and invest more enthusiastically in renewables, like solar and wind—so while the US and Russia and a few other players are somewhat pleased with how things are going, oil and gas price-wise at least, long term this could actually harm them, the most, as more of their customers decide to stop paying irregular prices for what they're selling and to opt for less turbulent solar and wind power, instead.What I'd like to talk about today is another knock-on effect of the war in Iran that could have significant international, possibly even military implications.—Since Trump first stepped into office, winning the US presidency back in 2016, allies have openly wondered whether the US could be relied upon as a military ally, should push come to shove.Trump has repeated said that he thinks NATO is a rip-off for the US, as the US has long provided the vast majority of funding and weapons for the alliance, and he's pushed European NATO members to step up their own investment, lest he decide to just led Russia or whomever else attack them; he's openly speculated that he might do exactly that.As a result of the US's pivot away from happily playing the role of world police and invasion deterrent, European governments have been hastily putting together contingency plans that don't include the US: if Russia turns its attention away from Ukraine and starts attacking the Baltics or Poland, they want to be ready, and they don't want to have to rely on the unreliable Trump administration for their survival.Other governments that have long assumed they would be protected, at least in part, by the overwhelming force of the US military, have also been rethinking things, based on Trump's stated, if not always practiced, isolationism.Taiwan, for instance, which is persistently menaced by China, which considers Taiwan to be a rebel asset that it will someday reclaim, has also been investing in its own defenses, no longer certain that the US will step up and help them out at their moment of greatest need, despite historical assumptions.Adding to that uncertainty, though, is the increasingly depleted state of the US military following its attack on Iran, which began in earnest in late February of this year.Since February, the US has expended around 1,100 long-range stealth cruise missiles, more than a thousand Tomahawk cruise missiles, more than 1,200 Patriot interceptor missiles, and more than a thousand Precision Strike and ATACMS ground-base missiles.For context, those Patriot missiles cost $4 million apiece, and again, 1,200 of them have been used since February, and the US military only buys about 100 Tomahawks a year, so the military has spent 10-years worth of them already during this new conflict in Iran. And those 1,100 stealth cruise missiles were built for a potential war with China, but now they're gone.This rapid depletion of armaments, weapons that take a long time to make and which are very expensive to procure, has required that stockpiles from elsewhere around the world be quickly packed up and shipped to the Middle East; and while the majority of what's been fired so far by the US have been missiles, these shipments include all sorts of bombs, vehicles, and personnel equipment like guns and bullets, too, because they have to be ready for anything.The military has also redirected assets, like missile systems and carrier strike groups, from other theaters, like the Pacific Ocean, to the Middle East, which leaves allies, like Taiwan and South Korea, less well-defended against potential incursions.The US has refused to release any estimates as to the cost of the attack on Iran so far, but a pair of independent groups have estimated that price tag to be somewhere between $28 and $35 billion, which is about a billion dollars a day.What's more, it's estimated that it will take about six years just to get armament stores back up to where they were in February, before this attack; it's not just costly, it also takes a long time to produce that many missiles and rockets. And notably, a lot of these weapons were already considered to be in short supply before this conflict, at levels not suitable for a full-on shootout with an enemy like China, according to military experts. So six years plus whatever would be necessary to get up to more suitable levels.This shortfall is partly the result of how the US military deals with defense contractors, and there are efforts by new military startups to remedy this sort of situation, making manufacturing a lot more nimble, while also shifting to cheaper weapons, like drones and inexpensive interceptors, to replace the pricy, conventional ones that the country has long relied on.This expanded production hasn't begun in earnest, though, and conventional military hardware suppliers have been slow to spin up new production because new funding hasn't yet been confirmed by the Pentagon.So the US military is currently low on the weapons it would need to defend its allies in Europe or the South China Sea against attacks by rival, near-peer nations, at a moment in which such nations are making big moves, like China's persistent expansion into the South China Sea, and Russia's adventurism in Ukraine.What's more, these stockpiles are unlikely to be resupplied any time soon, the capacity to produce what's needed simply doesn't exist, not in the US, anyway, and next-step options, like mass-scale drone production, also haven't kicked off in earnest, yet, and might not arrive for another 5 or 10 years.This already precarious moment has been made all the more precarious by the US government's decision to attack Iran, then, and that decision still hasn't been fully explained, the actual end-goal unknown. Consequently, there also doesn't seem to be a clear end-point to aim and plan for.Show Noteshttps://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/iran-war-complicates-contingency-plans-to-defend-taiwan-some-u-s-officials-say-4384f7c1http://nytimes.com/2026/04/16/world/middleeast/iran-war-cost-congress.htmlhttps://www.aei.org/foreign-and-defense-policy/epic-fury-costs-as-of-the-april-8-cease-fire/https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/23/us/politics/iran-war-cost-military.htmlhttps://gulfnews.com/world/mena/is-the-iran-war-depleting-us-weapons-too-fast-1.500517800https://www.moneycontrol.com/world/iran-war-drains-us-munitions-raises-taiwan-defence-concerns-report-article-13898019.htmlhttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-rearms-iran-ceasefire-advanced-munitions-supplies/https://www.ft.com/content/1a5a2502-a45a-40c1-af6f-b30ecc34bacbhttps://archive.is/20260424042150/https://www.ft.com/content/1a5a2502-a45a-40c1-af6f-b30ecc34bacbhttps://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/24/world/europe/europe-defense-nato-trump-eu.htmlhttps://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/04/23/aircraft-carrier-bush-iran/https://archive.md/T9tD1https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-03-31/trump-s-iran-war-is-accelerating-the-global-energy-transitionhttps://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/18/fossil-fuel-trump-green-revolution-us-iran-renewable-energyhttps://www.axios.com/2026/04/24/trump-oil-export-ceiling-iran-strait-hormuz This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit letsknowthings.substack.com/subscribe

If you think you already know the Cambridge Five story, think again. In this episode of Spybrary, Shane Whaley is joined by journalist and author Antonia Senior to discuss her powerful new book, Stalin's Apostles: The Cambridge Five and the Making of the Soviet Empire— a major re-examination of Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt and John Cairncross. But this is not the familiar story of clubland betrayal, old boys' networks. ping gins and establishment embarrassment. Instead, Antonia asks a darker and more important question: what did Stalin actually want from his greatest spies and what was the human cost? From Poland, the Baltics, Albania and Ukraine to the corridors of Whitehall and Washington, this conversation explores the real human cost of the Cambridge Five's betrayals — and why they were far more than 'Robin Hood' types embarrassing the British establishment. In this episode, we discuss: Why the Cambridge Five knew far more about Stalin's crimes than many like to admit Kim Philby's role in betraying anti-Soviet operations How Donald Maclean helped Stalin see the West's diplomatic hand The fate of partisans and resistance fighters in Eastern Europe Anthony Blunt, Poland, and the brutal realities behind the myth The enduring mystery of Philby in Beirut: did he run, or was he allowed to go? If you enjoy spy books, espionage history, and serious conversations about the moral consequences of intelligence work, this one is for you. Buy Stalin's Apostles: https://geni.us/XcUoM2 Join the Spybrary Community Support Spybrary Sign up for The Dead Drop newsletter

Emmanuel Macron's updated French nuclear doctrine represents an unprecedented effort by Paris to coordinate with European partners as U.S. security commitments decline. Rym Momtaz, Sophia Besch, and Ulrich Kühn discuss France's evolving role in European nuclear deterrence and the political and material credibility gaps that persist. [00:00:00] Intro, [00:01:26] Macron's Update to France's Nuclear Doctrine, [00:09:13] The Role of the Baltics in Europe's Defense, [00:22:47] European Alternatives to the U.S. Extended Deterrence. Rym Momtaz, April 7, 2026, “On NATO, Trump Should Embrace France Instead of Bashing It,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe. Rym Momtaz (ed.), March 12, 2026, “Taking the Pulse: Is France's New Nuclear Doctrine Ambitious Enough?,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe. Ulrich Kühn, February 24, 2026, “The Unintended Consequences of German Deterrence,” Global Policy vol. 17, issue S1: 1-9, https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.70134. Sophia Besch, Erik Brown, and Rafaela Uzan, December 22, 2025, “Rebalancing the Transatlantic Defense-Industrial Relationship: Regional Pragmatism in Northeastern Europe,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Sophia Besch and Jamie Kwong, December 11, 2025, “Unpacking Europe's Deterrence Dilemmas,” Strategic Europe, Carnegie Europe. Ulrich Kühn, May 1, 2025, “Is Europe Moving to an Independent Nuclear Deterrent?,” Arms Control Today, Arms Control Association.

We look at Slovak PM Robert Fico’s spat with the Baltics over Moscow and Slovenia’s coalition talks collapse. Plus: How Iran is affecting aviation, China-Japan tensions over Taiwan and Salone del Mobile’s first preview day.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's Talk Eastern Europe news roundup, Adam Reichardt, Alexandra Karppi, and Nina Panikova break down the latest developments across the region.We start with Ukraine, where growing tensions with the United States over potential peace conditions raise serious questions about future security guarantees and military support. With the war in the Middle East reshaping global priorities, the episode explores how shifting geopolitics may be weakening Ukraine's position while strengthening Russia's hand.The discussion then turns to wider regional security concerns, including whether NATO could face a real test in the Baltics and how countries like Poland are preparing for a potential escalation. We also look at Moldova's newly declared energy state of emergency following Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, highlighting how the war continues to impact the broader region.Finally, we head to the Balkans to unpack local elections inSerbia, where reports of irregularities and political pressure raise fresh concerns about democratic standards under Aleksandar Vučić.Don't forget to subscribe, leave a comment, and check outour full episodes and bonus content.

Michael speaks with Rear Admiral (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, following his recent trip to Ukraine. Admiral Montgomery explores the warfare strategies currently defining the conflict, as well as the evolving "gray zone" tactics Russia is employing against the Baltics. He also identifies critical weak spots in the Russian military machine, from logistical vulnerabilities to strategic anxieties, and provides a sobering assessment of the "ground situation" in Ukraine. Finally, Admiral Montgomery explains why the war could realistically continue for another three years and what the US must do to maintain the defense of its allies in the face of persistent Russian aggression.  

While the physical fires are kept burning with a metric ton of heating pellets here in the freezing Latvian buffer zone, the geopolitical cesspool has officially overflowed. In this massive, fast-paced dispatch, we tear apart the outbreak of the largest Middle Eastern war since 2003—Operation Epic Fury.As American stealth bombers dance through the Iranian skies, the myth of the "Multipolar World" burns to the ground. Russia and China have completely abandoned Tehran, triggering an absolute panic among the Z-Patriots. We break down the delusion of the exiled Russian opposition, deliver the brutal pragmatic truth from the Baltics, and explain how Iran's asymmetric terror strategy is dragging the global economy into the abyss.Meanwhile, the Russian economy is actively cannibalizing itself. We look at the 30 trillion ruble crater in the budget, the Orwellian trap being laid to freeze civilian bank deposits, and the hardline military faction explicitly citing the UN to justify a "holy mutiny" against Vladimir Putin. Finally, we end on a darkly comedic note: watching Solovyov's top propagandist accidentally admit to the Holodomor on live state television, only to get accused of being a Banderite.The cardboard armor of the authoritarian world is violently catching fire.Support the show and keep the Gonzo journalism alive:Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TheEasternBorderMerch Store: https://theeasternborder-shop.fourthwall.com/Help the frontline units in Ukraine who are fighting in the mud:Donate a truck: https://car4ukraine.com/en-US/campaigns/christmas-tree-trucks-2025-the-eastern-borderHappiness is mandatory.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sean McMeekin details how Stalin replaced Litvinov with Molotov to signal realignment with Hitler, leading to the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, arguing Stalin was an opportunist seeking territorial expansion in Poland, Romania, and the Baltics while Western powers failed to intervene.1900 THE RUSSIA BEAR, "RECKLESS DEFIANCE" OF THE ENGLISH TOMMIES

Victoria Coates warns that the Kremlin may use the presence of Russian-speaking populations in the Baltic states as a justification for future aggression, replicating the strategy currently deployed against Ukraine. She notes that this established pattern, which claims that Russian speakers belong to Russia, poses a threat not only to the Baltics but also to Moldova, although she expresses concern that European powers like Germany are failing to heed these warning signs.1923 PETROGRAD

FILE 3. THE MOLOTOV-RIBBENTROP PACT AND TERRITORIAL AMBITION. GUEST AUTHOR SEAN MCMEEKIN. McMeekin explains that the 1939 appointment of Molotov signaled Stalin's shift toward collaboration with Hitler, leading to the Moscow Pact. Stalin used this alliance opportunistically to reclaim imperial Russian territories in Poland, Finland, and the Baltics, while British leadership, including Churchill, largely accepted these aggressive moves as a necessary buffer against Germany,.1943 TEHRAN

FILE 2. THE PURGE OF LITVINOV AND THE MOSCOW PACT. GUEST AUTHOR SEAN MCMEEKIN. On May 3, 1939, Stalin ordered the arrest of Foreign Minister Maxim Litvinov and his Jewish staff, replacing him with Molotov to signal a diplomatic shift toward Nazi Germany,. This maneuver paved the way for the Moscow Pact, allowing Stalin to opportunistically seize territory in Poland, Finland, and the Baltics while Western powers remained passive,.1928

In this episode of The President's Daily Brief: Venezuela's new leader Delcy Rodríguez abruptly softens her tone following the capture of Nicolás Maduro, signaling possible cooperation with Washington—but her past record and the power structures still in place raise doubts about whether a real political transition is underway. Alarm bells ring across the Baltics after a sixth undersea cable outage in less than a week, as authorities investigate suspected sabotage and Western allies warn the pattern may point to coordinated Russian interference. Russia strikes an American-owned oil facility in Ukraine, triggering a massive oil spill in the city of Dnipro and underscoring the expanding scope of Moscow's targeting. And in today's Back of the Brief—President Trump pushes back on Kremlin claims, saying U.S. intelligence shows Ukraine did not target Vladimir Putin's residence during a recent drone strike. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President's Daily Brief by visiting https://PDBPremium.com.  Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief ZBiotics: Visit https://zbiotics.com/PDBfor 15% off American Financing: Call American Financing today to find out how customers are saving an avg of $800/mo. NMLS 182334, https://nmlsconsumeraccess.org. APR for rates in the 5s start at 6.196% for well qualified borrowers. Call 866-885-1881 for details about credit costs and terms. Visit http://www.AmericanFinancing.net/PDB. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices