Podcasts about baltics

In this episode, Captain Troels “TEO” Vang joins The Afterburn Podcast host, John “Rain” Waters. As one of the most experienced F-16 pilots in the Royal Danish Air Force, TEO offers an in-depth look into the life of a European Viper driver with more than two decades of combat aviation experience. From missions over Libya, Iraq, Syria, and the Baltics to leading Denmark's F-16 solo display team across Europe, TEO shares powerful insights into tactical flying, military leadership, and the future of fighter aviation. He and Rain discuss the cultural and structural contrasts between the U.S. and Danish Air Forces, and how Denmark's 37-hour workweek model may be the secret to long-term pilot retention. TEO also unpacks the evolution of the Danish demo jet—including the iconic “Dannebrog” paint scheme honoring the world's oldest national flag and the F-16's 50th anniversary. Whether he's intercepting Russian aircraft or wowing crowds at international airshows, Captain TEO exemplifies the mindset and mission of the fighter pilot brotherhood. Subscribe for more veteran stories, tactical airpower insight, and global combat aviation perspectives.

Russia's now actively trying to interfere in the Baltics again, which has made some people a bit uppity. Thankfully, they continue to be systematically corrupt and incompetent. Oh, and another letter by Igor Girkin. He's awaiting the storm.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/theeasternborder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we speak with Martin Gauss, former CEO of airBaltic, who transformed the Latvian flag carrier into one of Europe's most innovative airlines while connecting the entire Baltic region.Gauss discusses:The benefits of operating a single-fleet airline with the highly efficient Airbus A220-300, resulting in 30% lower fuel consumption than older generation aircraft and contributing to airBaltic's path to carbon neutrality by 2050.airBaltic's innovative dual business model that combines scheduled operations with wet lease services for major carriers like Lufthansa Group, creating flexibility and financial resilience.The airline's commitment to sustainability through fleet modernisation, gradually increasing SAF usage, and partnerships with innovative manufacturers like Fokker NextGen for hydrogen-powered aircraft.How airBaltic established itself as an industry leader in adopting new technologies, from becoming the first airline to accept Bitcoin in 2014 to pioneering Starlink internet service in Europe.His perspective on balancing growth with sustainability, emphasising that connectivity is essential for economic development while working toward emission-free aviation.The Baltic states' capacity for innovation, demonstrating how a small country like Latvia can lead the way in aviation technology and sustainability.As an airline pilot-turned-CEO, Gauss offers valuable insights into how smaller airlines can lead industry change through bold technology choices and business model innovation.If you LOVED this episode, you'll also love the conversation we had with Anko van der Werff, President & CEO of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), who shares the airline's ambitious sustainability initiatives. Check it out here. Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry's challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air'. Click here to learn more.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It's about time.Links & More:ESG - airBaltic Fokker Next Gen partners with airBaltic on new liquid hydrogen powered commercial aircraft – GreenAir News airBaltic achieves one-Year milestone in increased SAF implementation - Travel And Tour World airBaltic to Expand Training Fleet With All-Electric eD40 - FLYING Magazine 

Two trips to two cities - Vilnius in Lithuania and Tartu in Estonia. In Vilnius, you'll discover a city where ancient history meets bohemian creativity, where mermaids cast spells from riverbanks, and where an entire neighbourhood declared itself an independent republic. Tartu is dominated by the oldest university in the Baltics and presents a uniquely preserved cultural landscape that has evolved from medieval origins to modern street art. Join me as we explore Vilnius and Tartu. Thanks for listening!

The sudden disappearance of 4 American soldiers near Lithuania's border with Belarus received worldwide attention for both the urgency of the story and the mystery. The search and rescue, and the subsequent recovery efforts, have been described as an engineering feat of herculean proportions. How did this happen? What should we consider? Mike "Main Gun" Bajema served more than 20 years in the U.S. military, retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army.  As a retired Armor Officer, he commanded multiple units from Company to Battalion, which included not only tanks but M88s - the military vehicle at the center of the story. Mike helps explain the importance of the location where this incident took place, what potential dangers to consider, and what questions to ask moving forward to prevent it from happening again.  SUPPORT OUR MISSION   Shop our gear!  If you'd like to help support SmartHER News' mission of a free, independent, nonpartisan press – here's how you can become a SCOOP insider: https://www.scoop.smarthernews.com/get-the-inside-scoop/    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smarthernews/  Website: https://smarthernews.com/  YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/smarthernews 

Welcome to a new type of episode of the Pursuit of Scrappiness podcast. A monthly analysis of topics we find relevant to highlight, discuss and share with you to help you become a scrappier and better version of yourself. We will be looking at events and developments in business, politics and technology from a European and particularly Baltic perspective.  On this episode we talk about:Baltic funding newsEnefit Green going privateHow Europe strikes back in space and rocket techHarry Stebbings' new VC initiativeTrade wars & AI wars1/3 Baltics' Biggest Fundraising Announcements  Walk15 secures €5M Series A at a €13M valuation, nearing 1 million users with its activity app.  Change Ventures invests €250K in Latvian energy startup EngyCell, leveraging old Tesla batteries for storage solutions.  Frankenberg Technologies raises €4M for defense tech, including mini-missiles to be tested in Ukraine.Estonian fintech Cino lands €3.5M seed funding for its card-linking payment-splitting app.  Lithuanian startup Commody raises €0.5M pre-seed for NFT-enabled collectible car ownership. Eesti Energia's €1B buyout of Enefit Green shakes up the Baltic stock exchange.2/3 Europe Strikes Back: Tech Scene Highlights  Harry Stebbings' 20VC launches a €10M fund targeting founders under 25, backed by top European tech names.  Revolut's valuation soars to $48B after a Schroder's stake revaluation, a 1000x return from its 2016 crowdfunding.Bolt acquires Danish taxi startup Vigo to enter Denmark's regulated ride-hailing market. Secondaries dominate 2024 exits (71%), offering liquidity to startup stakeholders.  EU set to fine Apple and Meta under the Digital Markets Act for competition and privacy violations.  German startup ISAR Aerospace tests a rocket in Norway, aiming to rival SpaceX with NATO backing.3/3 Global & U.S. Highlights  Alibaba invests $50B in an AI model for devices like iPhones and BMWs, intensifying the global AI race.  U.S. job-switching yields only a 4.8% wage increase vs. 4.6% for stayers, signaling a shift in career strategies.  OpenAI's $40B SoftBank investment hinges on its for-profit transition, challenged by Elon Musk's lawsuit.  XAI acquires X (Twitter) for $33B, integrating AI with social media amid a $80B valuation for XAI.  DOGE claims $130B in savings, dwarfed by a $500B rise in U.S. government spending, raising questions about impact.==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

Tonight, Edvin Kornelius is interviewed on The Brian Crombie Hour I interview. Edvin is an independent strategy and risk consultant in Latvia with extensive corporate banking experience, primarily from Northern European banks, of which close to 15 years were devoted to servicing global multinationals and International corporations from Scandinavia and Finland in Russia, Moscow and St. Petersburg. He speaks about his experience from Russia and why he believes we are at war with Russia. Edvin talks about Ukraine and the Baltics, amid a war with Russia and the risk of it expanding. 

All Family Pharmacy https://allfamilypharmacy.com/HermanBe prepared for when you need medicine the most. Don't go to urgent care YUCK. Use code HERMAN10 to save 10% on your order. Alan's Soaps https://www.alansartisansoaps.comUse coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bioptimizers https://bioptimizers.com/toddEnter promo code TODD to get 10% off any order.Bonefrog https://bonefrogcoffee.com/toddThe new GOLDEN AGE is here!  Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.Bulwark Capital Bulwark Capital Management (bulwarkcapitalmgmt.com)Get a second opinion on the health of your retirement portfolio today. Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review go to KnowYourRiskRadio.com today.Renue Healthcare https://renue.healthcare/toddYour journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/ToddCS Lewis once said "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of it's victims may be the most oppressive..." The question today is - Can we rescue the woke elite from this delusion?Episode Links:The Davos devolution; and the revolution underway - EL GATO MALOSame Driver as before harassing other Tesla owner in Fargo North Dakota The Rise of the Brutal American; This is how the bad guys act. By Anne Applebaum writing in The Atlantic.The Biden Stranded NASA astronauts have sent a thank you to Elon Musk and Donald Trump. Surprise, surprise! The media never covered it…Three years ago, Joe Biden declared a “winter of death” for the unvaccinated. Never again with this insanity. Also, I don't know a single person who regrets **not** getting the COVID vax. Not one.Now with complete control of the Ukrainian government, then the Bidens began their dirty work. Biden visited Ukraine 13+ times, securing US funding for Ukrainian oligarchs. Then used his power to fire a State prosecutor who figured out Biden's kick-back/laundering scheme.Donald Trump's advisor, Alina Habba, discovered the fake Oval Office where Joe Biden allegedly pretended to be president. The room includes a teleprompter positioned directly in front of him and a smaller desk for when he would play his role as president. The whole setup looks like a Hollywood studio.Joe Biden in 1997: Admitting the Baltic States into NATO would cause a vigorous and hostile reaction from Russia. Fast forward to today, and NATO has expanded right up to Russia's border in the Baltics, and has triggered the vigorous and hostile reaction from Russia by crossing the last red line of Ukraine. @ggreenwald “Simply by opposing the U.S. war in Ukraine, or questioning the false claims of the United States and its media about the war, you will be counted as a pro-Russian propagandist who should be censored from the Internet under EU law because you have quote, ‘ideological alignment with the Russian state.'”Islamic scholars in UK are shocked and appalled that British women dare to show themselves and even dare to laugh in public. They say Allah is very angry with this.JASMINE CROCKETT: "Free speech is not about whatever it is thatch'all want somebody to say - and the idea thatchu wanna shut down everybody that is not Fox News is BULLSH*T! We need to stop playin'! Because that's whatch'all are doin' in here!"

Send us a textIn this episode our travels to uncover Railway stories take us to Anglesey to meet Walter Glynn Davis, the 81 year old chair of Lein Amlwch – Anglesey Central Railway Ltd, a group who are working to bring the Amlwch to Gerwen line back into service.  Walter, retired teacher travelled, on the last passenger train in 1964 and being a local man from Amlwch the line has been his passion ever since. We talk to the new job share General Managers: Liz Porrett and Lorraine Simkiss at the Talyllyn Railway on International Women's Day, discussing the challenges facing Welsh Railways with the tourist tax and looking ahead at the fabulous season they have planned.I made a visit to longest public narrow gauge railway in the Baltics, the Siaurukas  line in Lithuania and hear from its Director, Darius Sharon Gregory heads off on another Railway Rideout, this time to the Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire, and we go to Sussex where 86 year old Bluebell Railway lineside volunteer John Deane has walked the length of the line, on the ballast, for a charity close to his heart.#ChurnetValley #BluebellRailway #Talyllyn #IWD #AngleseyCentralRailway 'Links to the Railways mentioned in this episode:The Tallylyn Railway Llein Amlwch / Anglesey Central Railway LimitedLink to story of the damaged railway bridge 2019 Churnet Valley Railway Voluteer in Lithuania: Contact  darius.liutikas@siaurukas.eu  Director of the Siarukas Railway to find out about volunteering opportunities.The Bluebell RailwayJohn Deane's fundraiser for the British Heart Foundation This podcast is produced by Laura Raymond and presented by Alasdair Stewart Our 'Making Tracks' music is with kind permission of composer and musician Richard Durrant. It is a unique piece inspired by the rhythm of the historic rolling stock on the Ffestiniog Railway on the scenic journey from Harbour Station to Tan y Blwch. You can listen and download the full 'Tan y Bwlch' Ukulele Quartet here: Thank you to voice artist David King - for the Railway Ride outs voice over. Ukulele Quartet No. 1 "Tan y Bwlch" Ukulele Quartet No. 1 "Tan y Bwlch" Richard Durrant · Single · 2019 · 3 songs.

Ada Mockutė Jaime is the Chief Marketing Officer at Nordcurrent, the largest game developer and publisher from the Baltics. With over 800 million game downloads worldwide and a portfolio of hit mobile titles like Cooking Fever and Airplane Chefs, Nordcurrent has become a global gaming powerhouse—all while remaining completely bootstrapped. On this episode we talk about:How Nordcurrent scaled into a global gaming giant without any external funding, driven by adaptability and long-term thinking.What goes into launching a mobile game, from market research to year-long development and brutal early-stage testing.How Nordcurrent uses TikTok, player feedback, and grassroots engagement to fuel virality and loyalty.Ada's take on why most non-gaming apps miss the mark with gamification and what truly makes engagement work.The business model behind mobile games, balancing in-app purchases, ad revenue, and player churn.Lessons other businesses can take from gaming: A/B testing culture, creative iteration, and building around user psychology.==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

Youtube - https://youtu.be/gQa204zHovUCurious Worldview Newsletter - https://curiousworldview.beehiiv.com/subscribeAxel Humlesjö is a Swedish journalist against which money laundering, the plumbing of offshore finance and the cancerous nature of dark money, continuously crash up against.Axel was a part of the team that uncovered systematic money laundering activities with Swedbank in the Baltics. Part of the team behind the series - The Shadow War - which exposed Russian espionage activities in the Nordics and led to the expulsion of five Russian spies from Sweden. Many other stories as well, but of course co-author of his debut book, The Honey Trap which explores Swedbank's involvement in one of the world's largest money laundering scandals and details this extensive operation for how the Russian security service uses sparrows and other means to honey trap and acquire kompromat on a broad slew of people. Honey traps were used directly to illicit compromising material to infiltrate Swedbank.This podcast goes into Axel's views on the evolution of journalism in a globalised world, and the significant role that money plays in shaping political landscapes. He goes as far to say it is the single biggest societal issue facing Europe and how intertwined money laundering is with currying foreign influence. This was recorded in person in Stockholm with Axel last December, it was the last interview I recorded before I left the country.00:00 - Axel Humlesjö 01:30 - Journalism in a Globalised World06:23 - The Impact of Money Laundering on Democracy13:28 - The Influence of Russian Oligarchs15:48 - The Structural Damage of Under Money25:38 - The Iceberg of Financial Corruption41:53 - The Impact of Money Laundering on Society48:58 - The Kompromat Strategy: Honey Traps and Coercion01:07:01 - The Future of Investigative Journalism

Estonia, one of the Baltic states, sits on Europe's front line with Russia. The country that was, like Ukraine, once part of the Soviet Union is increasingly worried about the threat Putin poses, and has plans in place if there is an invasion. But, if western Europe can no longer rely on the transatlantic alliance, will it work? And what could Britain learn from it?This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestoryGuest: Oliver Moody, Berlin Correspondent, The Times and The Sunday Times.Host: Manveen Rana.Producer: Olivia Case.Further reading: Could Poland and Germany acquire nuclear bombs?Further listening:   ‘A lawlessness that's deeply alarming': William Hague on Trump's new presidency.Photo: Getty Images.Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our two royal correspondents with a preview of their special assignment in the Baltics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I'm talking with the founders of the largest legal innovation conference in Northern Europe, FutureLaw:Valentin Feklistov and Alex Bitskov.This is a place where legal, tech, and business meet on equal ground.Where discussions aren't just theoretical but global, practical, and forward-thinking.The first FutureLaw conference began in 2023, bringing together leaders from the Nordics, the Baltics, and beyond.By 2024 it had become truly international.Over 40 nations.World-class speakers from Asia to America.And 2025 is set to be better.Because the future of law isn't built in isolation.It's built through collaboration.For legal professionals, this isn't just another event, it's an opportunity.To learn from the best minds in legal tech, business, and practice.To see how technology is reshaping law firms, access to justice, and client service.To future-proof your career in a profession that's evolving faster than ever.The legal industry is changing. You can watch from the sidelines.Or you can step into the room where the future of law is being shaped.FutureLaw is happening in Tallin, Estonia, 29th - 30th May 2025.Find out more here: https://futurelaw.ee/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘The Foreign Desk’ speaks to leaders from Nato’s Baltic members about the vexing, existential questions they face: what happens if Russia strikes one of them? Is Nato’s Article 5 the unassailable security that it used to be? Is it worthwhile to keep telling Western Europe “we told you so”?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Marija Rucevska is the founding partner of Outlast Fund, a newly launched venture capital firm focused on early-stage investments in the Baltics and Nordics. With over a decade of experience in the startup ecosystem, Marija has played a key role in shaping the regional tech landscape, contributing with brands like TechChill, Practica, Helve, Techhub and others. On this episode we talk about:The Rise of Early-Stage VC in the Baltics Outlast Fund's Investment PhilosophyThe Future of Fundraising in the RegionBuilding High-Growth Startups in a Competitive LandscapeDefense Tech and Its Investment Potential==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

In this episode, we break down regional reactions to the now infamous meeting between Donald Trump, JD Vance and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office. We also look at why it was a mistake not to invite the Baltics to the Ukraine Summit in London.

On the GZERO World Podcast, we're bringing you two starkly different views on Ukraine's future and European security. First, Ian Bremmer speaks with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže about the growing security threats facing the Baltics—from cyberattacks and disinformation to undersea sabotage in the Baltic Sea. When an oil tanker linked to Russia's shadow fleet recently severed a vital power cable between Estonia and Finland, it was a stark reminder of how hybrid warfare is playing out beyond the battlefield. Braže warns that Putin's ambitions extend far beyond Ukraine, aiming to weaken US alliances and destabilize Europe. She also pushes back against claims that Ukraine's NATO ambitions provoked the war, calling them “complete nonsense,” and outlines why Latvia is boosting its defense spending to 5% of GDP.The conversation then shifts to Moscow, where Bremmer speaks with former Russian colonel and ex-Carnegie Moscow Center director Dmitri Trenin. Once considered a pro-Western voice, Trenin's views now align closely with the Kremlin. He argues that the fate of Ukraine should be decided primarily by Russia and the United States—not Ukraine or Europe.Host: Ian BremmerGuest: Baiba Braže & Dmitri Trenin Subscribe to the GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.

On the GZERO World Podcast, we're bringing you two starkly different views on Ukraine's future and European security. First, Ian Bremmer speaks with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže about the growing security threats facing the Baltics—from cyberattacks and disinformation to undersea sabotage in the Baltic Sea. When an oil tanker linked to Russia's shadow fleet recently severed a vital power cable between Estonia and Finland, it was a stark reminder of how hybrid warfare is playing out beyond the battlefield. Braže warns that Putin's ambitions extend far beyond Ukraine, aiming to weaken US alliances and destabilize Europe. She also pushes back against claims that Ukraine's NATO ambitions provoked the war, calling them “complete nonsense,” and outlines why Latvia is boosting its defense spending to 5% of GDP.The conversation then shifts to Moscow, where Bremmer speaks with former Russian colonel and ex-Carnegie Moscow Center director Dmitri Trenin. Once considered a pro-Western voice, Trenin's views now align closely with the Kremlin. He argues that the fate of Ukraine should be decided primarily by Russia and the United States—not Ukraine or Europe.Host: Ian BremmerGuest: Baiba Braže & Dmitri Trenin Subscribe to the GZERO World with Ian Bremmer Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published.

BVU's Band & Choir go to the Baltics by KBVU 97.5 The Edge

Welcome to a new type of episode of the Pursuit of Scrappiness podcast. A monthly discussion format on topics we find relevant to highlight, discuss and share with you to help you become a scrappier and better version of yourself. We will be looking at events and developments in business, politics and technology from a European and particularly Baltic perspective. On this episode we talk about:A deep dive into whether Europe's free speech restrictions are justified, how Germany polices online content, and whether the Baltics have more freedom in comparison.Examining Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), its actual impact on U.S. spending, and whether such an initiative would work in Europe.Why Estonia is introducing a 2% defense tax, how it compares to other European countries, and whether other nations should follow suit.A look at the latest investment rounds, including the biggest raises in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and why growth-stage funding is still lagging behind.A discussion on the crisis in venture capital, why many 2020–2021 funds are still stuck at 1x valuation, and what this means for future startup investments.Are recent tech layoffs driven by AI automation, or is AI just a convenient scapegoat? Analyzing the Klarna and Stripe cases, plus how startups can use AI to stay competitive.==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

Rob is off this week! Instead, Jacob is rejoined by former colleague and current chief geopolitical strategist at BCA Research Matt Gertken. They recap the week in geopolitics – specifically, the seachange in U.S. foreign policy toward Europe, the potential role of Turkey, and the future of the Black Sea. They close with thoughts on China and the Middle East.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Intro(01:30) – Gravity of the moment(12:30) – Will Russia invade the Baltics?(19:10) – Turkey & the Black Sea(33:00) – Germany(40:25) – China(50:38) – Iran and the Middle East--Jacob Shapiro Site: jacobshapiro.comJacob Twitter: x.com/JacobShapCI Site: cognitive.investmentsSubscribe to the Newsletter: bit.ly/weekly-sitrep--The Jacob Shapiro Show is produced and edited by Audiographies LLC. More information at audiographies.com --Jacob Shapiro is a speaker, consultant, author, and researcher covering global politics and affairs, economics, markets, technology, history, and culture. He speaks to audiences of all sizes around the world, helps global multinationals make strategic decisions about political risks and opportunities, and works directly with investors to grow and protect their assets in today's volatile global environment. His insights help audiences across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world.Cognitive Investments is an investment advisory firm, founded in 2019 that provides clients with a nuanced array of financial planning, investment advisory and wealth management services. We aim to grow both our clients' material wealth (i.e. their existing financial assets) and their human wealth (i.e. their ability to make good strategic decisions for their business, family, and career).--This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

Erik’s requests to the Baltics may not have panned out, but it was still pretty super as far as Saturdays go. This week we’re looking back on the results in […]

Encouraging New Startups in the BalticsOne of TechChill's main goals is to inspire and support new startup founders in the Baltic region. With over €60 million in new funding available, there's never been a better time for entrepreneurs in Latvia and beyond to launch their ideas. TechChill is positioning itself as a key player in guiding these founders by providing expert-led content on business growth, funding, and scaling strategies.A Shift Toward Practical, Founder-Focused ContentWhile TechChill has always prioritized startups, the event has refined its focus on delivering content that directly benefits founders. From sales and marketing to tech and funding, each aspect of the event is designed to help early-stage companies grow. By packaging these insights into accessible sessions, TechChill ensures that attendees leave with actionable knowledge.Expanding Beyond Events: A Year-Round Startup Support NetworkTechChill is more than just a once-a-year event. Throughout the year, the organization promotes Baltic startups internationally, helping them gain exposure in key markets like San Francisco and Helsinki. By connecting founders with investors and global tech leaders, TechChill plays a crucial role in strengthening the region's startup ecosystem.Lessons from Expanding into ItalyTechChill's attempt to expand into Milan was an eye-opening experience. While the event was well-received, it highlighted the importance of having strong local partners to build a lasting community. Cultural and business differences also played a role, making it clear that successful ecosystem building requires deep local engagement. This experience reinforced TechChill's commitment to focusing on the Baltics while selectively exploring high-impact collaborations.Supporting Ukraine's Startup EcosystemTechChill has also taken an active role in supporting Ukraine's startup community. Recognizing Ukraine's strong talent pool and growing entrepreneurial spirit, TechChill has facilitated connections between Baltic and Ukrainian founders, investors, and community builders. Their efforts, including trips to Kyiv and partnerships with local stakeholders, aim to create meaningful opportunities for Ukrainian startups despite ongoing challenges.TechChill's evolution reflects a broader mission: to make the Baltics a thriving hub for innovation. By fostering new startups, offering hands-on learning, and expanding international connections, it continues to shape the future of the region's tech ecosystem. Find Julija Jegorova on:LinkedIn: Julija Jegorova Find Ben on:LinkedIn: Ben CostantiniTwitter/X: @bencostantini Be sure to follow Sesamers on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X for more cool stories from the people we catch during the best Tech events!

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi announce a massive partnership across multiple sectors, Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggests that Vladamir Putin will target Poland or the Baltics in 2026, Tensions rise between China and Australia after an incident above the South China Sea, The UK's Rachel Reeves faces criticism for her social media posts and expenses, The European Commision withdraws its AI liability directive, A EU court advisor finds Denmark's 'Ghetto Law' discriminatory, Russia secures its first African naval base deal in Sudan, A judge blocks Trump's USAID funding freeze, Multiple lawsuits target DOGE's US government access, and researchers create AI-developed enzymes in a potential scientific breakthrough. Sources:  www.verity.news

Caroline Eden is a writer and literary critic. She's also the author of many terrific food and travel books, including Samarkand, Black Sea, and Red Sands. She has been awarded both the Art of Eating Prize and an André Simon Award, and Red Sands was a book of the year for the Financial Times, the Sunday Times, and the New Yorker. In this episode, we talk about Caroline's terrific new book, a memoir titled Cold Kitchen. The book is a real journey through parts of Eastern Europe, the Baltic region, and beyond, and it dives into Caroline's travels through Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia, and many other locations that perhaps don't get the time they deserve. Caroline is a brilliant reporter and we had such a great time catching up with her.Do you enjoy This Is TASTE? Drop us a review on Apple, or star us on Spotify. We'd love to hear from you. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At the start of this episode, Adam, Nina, and Alexandra discuss developments in the Georgian opposition, the shifting US stance on Ukraine, cultural anecdotes from Russia, the resignation of the Romanian president and the Baltics' energy decoupling. For the main interview, Alexandra is joined by James Kerr-Lindsay, a leading author and expert in international relations, conflict and security to discuss the case of Kosovo, which declared its independence on February 17th 2008. They talk about what happened in the lead up to Kosovo's declaration of independence and what makes Kosovo a unique case under international law. You can watch more of James's content on his Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEszqJb1FjYisBevHBIof3gGet access to additional content - become a TEE patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss electronic payments. We grew up in a world where credit cards were imprinted on carbon paper and cheques were on physical paper. In the news, the Baltics have disconnected from the Russian power grid, Football Manager 25 will be skipped, and there's one weird trick to stop Google's terrible AI summaries.Related LinksDiscord ChatElectronic PaymentsForum ThreadElectronic PaymentsBluesky PostElectronic PaymentsThings of the DayRym - Sounds between the Crowns (2020)Scott - Destroying and Reprogramming the Sprite Engine of Ghosts 'n Goblins

Ecuador holds elections with tackling crime at the top of the agenda. Plus: A tit-for-tat tariff war between China and the US, Bethlehem’s declining visitors, why the Baltics have cut power from Russia and Superbowl fashions. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

World news in 7 minutes. Monday 10th February 2025.Today: Baltics electricity. Ukraine minerals offer. Ecuador election. Mexico bus crash. Namibia founding father. South Africa aid cut. Israel withdrawal. And Australia kangaroo IVF.  With Ben MallettSEND7 is supported by our amazing listeners like you.Our supporters get access to the transcripts written by us every day.Our supporters get access to an English worksheet made by us once per week.Our supporters get access to our weekly news quiz made by us once per week.We give 10% of our profit to Effective Altruism charities.You can become a supporter at send7.org/supportContact us at podcast@send7.org or send an audio message at speakpipe.com/send7Please leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify.We don't use AI! Every word is written and recorded by us!Since 2020, SEND7 (Simple English News Daily in 7 minutes) has been telling the most important world news stories in intermediate English. Every day, listen to the most important stories from every part of the world in slow, clear English. Whether you are an intermediate learner trying to improve your advanced, technical and business English, or if you are a native speaker who just wants to hear a summary of world news as fast as possible, join Stephen Devincenzi, Ben Mallett and Juliet Martin every morning. Transcripts, worksheets and our weekly world news quiz are available for our amazing supporters at send7.org. Simple English News Daily is the perfect way to start your day, by practising your listening skills and understanding complicated stories in a simple way. It is also highly valuable for IELTS and TOEFL students. Students, teachers, TEFL teachers, and people with English as a second language, tell us that they use SEND7 because they can learn English through hard topics, but simple grammar. We believe that the best way to improve your spoken English is to immerse yourself in real-life content, such as what our podcast provides. SEND7 covers all news including politics, business, natural events and human rights. Whether it is happening in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas or Oceania, you will hear it on SEND7, and you will understand it.For more information visit send7.org/contact or send an email to podcast@send7.org

Andrius Ladauskas, CEO of Venipak, discusses e-commerce and parcel delivery trends in the Baltics. Venipak company profile and competitive environment in the Baltics Pan-Baltic parcel locker network Comparing shopping patterns in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia Challenges and opportunities with Chinese and European e-commerce businesses Importance of price in e-commerce volumes Parcel trends during peak season Delivery preferences across the Baltics Impact of pandemic on delivery preferences E-commerce payment preferences  

On Friday, December 13, 2024, James Ginn and I discussed the Work of the United Church of God in Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the Baltics.  James Ginn will be the coordinator of this area, continuing the magnificent work of Johnnie and Hazel Lambert here for 27 years.   Meet James Ginn in this informative podcast.  I thank all who have served in this area.  James Ginn will also be an Editorial Writers for Church publications..    

This podcast was created by James Ginn who is now  Coordinator for Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, the Baltics and Editorial Writer for the United Church of God. His is continuing the work of Johnnie Lambert and myself.  

THIS IS NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE. INVESTING IS RISKY AND OFTEN PAINFUL. DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.There are about 45,000 Russian casualties a month now in Ukraine. That equates to a rate of 540,000 soldiers per year or about 1% of Russia's male, fighting-age population, thus the call to North Korea to supply troops. About 15% of Russia's population died in World War 2, so today's losses are modest in comparison but by modern standards an incomprehensible cost for territorial gain. Almost all of those who die come from Russia's hinterlands. An American equivalent would be if the Pentagon emptied US jails, drafted from the poorest zip codes, sent them to attack Canada, and then gave generous cash packages to the next of kin. Some provincial Russians have even welcomed the war because the poorest, most alcoholic locals have been disposed of and replaced with a cash subsidy. The question is if President-elect Trump will view Putin's negotiating position as strong. I don't know the answer. I do know Trump's answer has vast implications for geopolitics. China is weighing Taiwan, Iran is weighing its tactic of spreading death and chaos in the Middle East. This also matters for US government finances, bond yields, and equity valuations. Today, I want to talk about the policy choice and financial implications and also share a conversation I had with Lt. Gen (Ret) HR McMaster, Trump's former National Security Advisor. He offers a perspective I lack and I am grateful he made the time to talk with me and allowed me to share that conversation with you. US Policy DecisionWhile Republicans control the White House and Congress, there are splinters within the Party. Some are isolationists, others are internationalists. HR does not share his affiliation but he believes the US can be a force for good. If someone like Musk wants to cut government spending, he needs to slash either social security, medicare, or defense. Slashing defense would narrow the US budget deficit and be a radical restructuring of the global order. But such a sharp jag is off-brand for traditional Republicans. A report by Senator Wicker (R. Miss) is making the rounds. It is titled “Peace Through Strength” and is clearly meant for Trump's desk. Below is an excerpt. I put the key sentence in bold. America's national defense strategy and military budget are inadequate for the dangerous world in which we find ourselves. An emerging axis of aggressors is working to undermine U.S. interests across the globe. Congress and military leaders agree: The United States has not faced such a dangerous threat environment since the years before World War II. The epicenter of this test is Ukraine. Regardless of Party, US Presidents have not wanted to deal with Russia for the last quarter century. It's far away, has almost no economic relationship with the US, and is highly corrupt. But time and again, US Presidents have been forced to focus on Russia in a way that has sometimes sabotaged their domestic agenda. Could this happen to Trump 2.0?ContextPutin took over on December 31, 1999. Not long after problems began developing and each US President sought their best to ignore them for the same reason—they didn't want to engage in conflict. However, this has only allowed the situation in Russia to metastasize. This echoes the same process that unfolded in Germany in the 1930s, so Wicker's comment is apt. While Russian assassinations at home and abroad began early in Putin's reign, the key events where the US whiffed was when:* Russia annexed parts of Georgia under President Bush in 2008.* Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 under President Obama.* Russia fired on Ukrainian ships in 2018 traveling between Ukrainian ports under President Trump.* Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 under President Biden.In each case, the response was bumbling and timid. Note that Russia and the US both signed the 1994 Budapest Memorandum whereby Ukraine gave up its nukes in return for its borders being secured. While it sounds extreme, I don't think it is a stretch to say that this is the 1930s with Putin playing the role of Hitler and the US playing the role of UK's Neville Chamberlain. Russia has slowly been swallowing more territory, violating international law, and threatening the West with nuclear war if the West intervenes. The assassinations on Western territory continue. Just last week, the UK foiled a Russian plot to murder investigative journalist Christo Grozev. If Putin isn't stopped in Ukraine, I believe he will move on, possibly to the Baltics. Fiscal ImplicationsThe US budget deficit is currently at 6%, even as the economy is strong. This is unusual. The only solution to narrow the deficit is by raising taxes and cutting spending. The solution isn't conceptually complicated but it is politically toxic. But what will Trump do? From what I can tell reading McMaster's books, Trump is conflicted. He wants to appear “strong” and also hates foreign entanglements. His ideal environments are neater, like Trump Tower or Mar a Lago or a golf course he owns. If he were to quickly sign a peace deal with Putin, I suspect Trump would look weak. But Ukraine is exactly the type of mess he wants to avoid. To deter Russia, the US is going to need to spend a lot of money. McMaster said he thought the US defense budget needed to go from 3% of GDP to 5% of GDP. Without tax hikes, that would drive the deficit to 8% of GDP and possibly drive bond yields to 5% or 6%. This then would hit the stock and housing markets. Since Trump got elected, US bond yields have fallen. It's interesting and counter-intuitive unless one thinks a significant adjustment in government spending is coming. This is also a bet that the Fed will cut rates later this month, of course. To be sure, If the Fed were strictly following an inflation mandate, they would not cut. Inflation in the US is around 3%. The target is 2%. The last major inflation print of the year comes out next week and is expected to be 3.3%. Trump confronting Putin is not in anyone's expectations. But if he goes down that route, it certainly is not priced into markets. This document is strictly confidential and is intended for authorized recipients of “A Letter from Paul” (the “Letter”) only. It includes personal opinions that are current as of the date of this Letter and does not represent the official positions of Kate Capital LLC (“Kate Capital”). This letter is presented for discussion purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, an offer, or solicitation with respect to the purchase or sale of any security. Any unauthorized copying, disclosure, or distribution of the material in this presentation is strictly forbidden without the express written consent of Paul Podolsky or Kate Capital LLC.If an investment idea is discussed in the Letter, there is no guarantee that the investment objective will be achieved. Past performance is not indicative of future results, which may vary. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied. Unless otherwise noted, the valuation of the specific investment opportunity contained within this presentation is based upon information and data available as of the date these materials were prepared.An investment with Kate Capital is speculative and involves significant risks, including the potential loss of all or a substantial portion of invested capital, the potential use of leverage, and the lack of liquidity of an investment. Recipients should not assume that securities or any companies identified in this presentation, or otherwise related to the information in this presentation, are, have been or will be, investments held by accounts managed by Kate Capital or that investments in any such securities have been or will be profitable. Please refer to the Private Placement Memorandum, and Kate Capital's Form ADV, available at www.advisorinfo.sec.gov, for important information about an investment with Kate Capital.Any companies identified herein in which Kate Capital is invested do not represent all of the investments made or recommended for any account managed by Kate Capital. Certain information presented herein has been supplied by third parties, including management or agents of the underlying portfolio company. While Kate Capital believes such information to be accurate, it has relied upon such third parties to provide accurate information and has not independently verified such information.The graphs, charts, and other visual aids are provided for informational purposes only. None of these graphs, charts, or visual aids can of themselves be used to make investment decisions. No representation is made that these will assist any person in making investment decisions and no graph, chart or other visual aid can capture all factors and variables required in making such decisions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit paulpodolsky.substack.com

Forecast: Stormy skies with APT28's Wi-Fi exploits and rough seas in the Baltics as undersea cables are mysteriously cut. ‍ In this episode of Storm⚡️Watch, we review the fascinating poll results that reveal communication with non-technical leaders as the most undervalued skill in modern security, garnering 220 votes across three social media platforms and significantly outpacing other critical abilities like incident report writing, OSINT, and threat hunting. The crew then examines a groundbreaking cyber attack technique dubbed the "Nearest Neighbor Attack," executed by Russian APT28. This sophisticated operation allowed attackers to breach a U.S. organization's network by exploiting nearby Wi-Fi networks through a series of calculated steps, including password spraying and compromising adjacent organizations. The attack, occurring just before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, showcases a novel vector that combines the advantages of physical proximity with remote operation capabilities. Maritime security takes center stage as we explore two major undersea cable cuts in the Baltic Sea this November. The BSC East-West Interlink between Sweden and Lithuania and the C-Lion1 connecting Finland and Germany were severed, causing notable network latency increases. A Chinese vessel, Yi Peng 3, has drawn attention in the investigation, with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius suggesting these incidents were deliberate hybrid actions rather than accidents. We round out the episode with updates from our respective organizations, including Censys's 2024 State of the Internet Report, VulnCheck's analysis of CISA's top exploited vulnerabilities, and GreyNoise's latest insights on critical infrastructure risks and technical challenges involving null bytes. Storm Watch Homepage >> Learn more about GreyNoise >>  

Olaf Scholz has been Chancellor of Germany since December 2021. Following the collapse of his government a few weeks ago, he seems headed for electoral defeat early next year. Where did it all go wrong?As a character, Scholz is muted and impersonal almost to the point of being dreary - famously described as the “personification of boredom in politics” by Der Spiegel. Such qualities make a profile like this difficult, so today's episode is more policy heavy than previous ones. But it does nonetheless achieve its principal aim in telling the story of a Germany that, nearing the midpoint of the 2020s, seems weary, directionless, and insecure. My returning guest for this conversation is Oliver Moody. Oliver is the Berlin Correspondent at the Times and Sunday Times, a post which sees him cover Germany, Scandinavia, Central Europe and the Baltics. IN this vein, Oliver will be publishing his first book next year; that book is Baltic: The Future of Europe, which seeks to uncover how this Northeastern corner of Europe will decide the course of the West in the coming years. Great Business StoriesA great business story thoroughly researched and brought to life by Caemin &...Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify

Send us a textJānis Taukačs, a partner at Sorainen in Latvia, discusses the Baltic region's tax priorities, as well as his own professional journey through the world of tax. For other episodes from Cape Town, listen to:"From Cape Town: A Sit-Down With South Africa's Top Tax Official.""From Cape Town: Developing Tax Policy for Developing Nations."For more about the Sergei Magnitsky story, read David Stewart's article in Tax Notes, "Death of Russian Lawyer Puts Spotlight on Hermitage Tax Fraud."   For more coverage, read the following in Tax Notes:OECD Framework Discussing Permanent Pillar 2 Safe HarborsFrustration Persists in OECD Framework Over Pillar 1Lithuania Tax Authority Proposes Pillar 2 Implementing RulesLatvian Parliament Passes Global Minimum Tax LegislationFollow us on X:David Stewart: @TaxStewTax Notes: @TaxNotes***CreditsHost: David D. StewartExecutive Producers: Jasper B. Smith, Paige JonesShowrunner: Jordan ParrishAudio Engineers: Jordan Parrish, Peyton RhodesGuest Relations: Alexis Hart

Linda McMahon for Education. Los Angeles rushes to be a sanctuary city. Texas to Trump: Take My Land, Please. Is China engaged in acts of war in the Baltics? Tony's 10 yr pick bourbon. Insurrection in DC, Dems are silent. Comcast to spin off NBC Universal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Linda McMahon for Education. Los Angeles rushes to be a sanctuary city. Texas to Trump: Take My Land, Please. Is China engaged in acts of war in the Baltics? Tony's 10 yr pick bourbon. Insurrection in DC, Dems are silent. Comcast to spin off NBC Universal.  Greg Taylor. Rep. Nancy Mace is not backing down for standing up for women 7:36: Countertop Dishwasher for sale. More Trump Cabinet picks. Final Countdown to the end of the Biden Administration. Lefties leaving Twitter/X for Bluesky. The Russian economy is in a bad place. Who's going to buy MSNBC? UN trying to silence its critics. Jersey Mike's soldSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Markus Villig is the Founder and CEO of Bolt, a global mobility platform with more than 200 million lifetime customers in more than 50 countries and 600 cities. Bolt has raised over €1 billion in funding from investors like Sequoia, D1 and G Squared, making Markus the youngest founder of a billion-dollar company in Europe. In Today's Episode with Markus Villig: 1. Starting an $8BN Company: How did Markus come up with the idea for Bolt before Uber existed? How did Markus find his co-founder? Why did 30 people turn down the chance to co-found Bolt? What are Markus' biggest tips on finding a co-founder? How did Markus use a $5K loan from his parents as the pre-seed round? How did Markus get the first riders for Bolt? What worked? What did not work? How did Markus get the first driver for Bolt? What worked? What did not work? 2. Expanding to be a Global Champion: How did Markus expand Bolt to $10M in ARR on just $1M of funding? What did the international expansion playbook look like? What worked? What did not work? How has it changed over time? What one simple change led to their becoming the leader in Africa? What was the best country to launch? What was the worst? What is the most profitable country today? What is the least? 3. The $8BN Company that no VC Wanted to Fund: Why did every large VC in Europe turn down Bolt early on? How did a real estate company in the Baltics save Bolt with lifeline funding? When did Sequoia come into the mix? Does Sequoia move the needle for your company when they invest? How do New York financially driven investors differ to the traditional VC ecosystem? What would Markus most like to change about the world of VC? 4. The Future: Micromobility, Self-Driving Cars, Uber: Will the rise of self-driving cars harm or help companies like Bolt and Uber? What is the future for micromobility? Does it cannibalise the core business for Bolt and Uber? What is Uber better at Bolt doing? What are Uber worse at than Bolt? How will that change moving forward? Waymo, buy or short? Why?  

Building Impact with IntentionalityLinn-Cecilie emphasizes that impact investing requires intentionality and measurability. According to her, “You can do a lot of impact investments unintentionally, but if you don't have the intentionality there, it can be hard to call it real impact.” LUMO Labs, where she currently works, uses intentionality as a core part of their investment thesis. They measure both the financial returns and impact KPIs, ensuring that each investment stays true to its impact goals over the long term.This intentional approach is key in climate tech as the sector grows rapidly. As Linn-Cecilie notes, the impact investing market has reached “1.16 billion dollars” and is set to expand 20% yearly, showing how intentional impact is becoming the new normal in the investment world.Scaling Beyond Local BoundariesWith a primary focus on early-stage investments, LUMO Labs actively encourages startups to scale beyond their local markets. Linn-Cecilie points out, “Our whole thesis is to take these companies and make them go out of their own market as soon as possible.” For climate tech and impact-focused startups, scaling is often essential to reach global markets and make a measurable impact.By leveraging networks in the Nordics, Baltics, and beyond, Linn-Cecilie's team at LUMO Labs helps startups overcome geographic and cultural barriers, setting them up for global success. This ability to bridge regions is what makes LUMO Labs' impact investing approach truly valuable.Emphasizing Value-Driven EntrepreneurshipLinn-Cecilie shares that many Nordic founders tend to prioritize values over profit. She notes, “To build the biggest and the best companies, you need to be driven by something else than profit.” This value-driven approach is increasingly prominent in Norway and the Nordic regions, where impact and sustainability are core parts of the entrepreneurial mindset.This shift toward values is especially beneficial in the climate tech space, where creating a positive impact is integral to the company's mission. Startups in this ecosystem aren't just focused on financial growth; they aim to create real-world change, which aligns with LUMO Labs' focus on investing in sustainable urban solutions.Collaborating with Tech Transfer Offices (TTOs)One unique aspect of Linn-Cecilie's work at LUMO Labs is collaborating with Tech Transfer Offices (TTOs) at universities to identify and develop early-stage tech innovations. She explains, “We invest very early, so we can do pre-seed and up to late-seed, often with projects coming directly out of TTOs.”Working closely with TTOs allows her team to invest in cutting-edge technologies that address climate and urban challenges. These partnerships bring academic innovations to market faster, enabling climate tech startups to build solutions that are not only technologically advanced but also deeply impactful.Supporting Founders Beyond CapitalLinn-Cecilie highlights how LUMO Labs strives to support founders beyond mere financial investment. She states, “It's not always a pitching competition; there is space for conversations.” Her firm places a strong emphasis on mentorship and availability, with Linn-Cecilie herself often meeting with founders just for a chat, even if no investment is immediately involved.This approach is especially encouraging for early-stage startups, who may feel intimidated by VCs or overwhelmed by their financial needs. Her advice for founders? Don't be discouraged by a “no” from VCs—often, it's about alignment rather than company quality. LUMO Labs aims to foster an ecosystem where startups can thrive with the right support, not just funding. --Find Linn-Cecilie on:LinkedIn: Linn-Cecilie LinnemannInstagram: @linnlinneFind Ben on:LinkedIn: Ben CostantiniTwitter/X: @bencostantini--Be sure to follow Sesamers on Instagram, LinkedIn, and X for more cool stories from the people we catch during the best Tech events!

Jake Broe is a United States Air Force veteran who served for six years as a Nuclear and Missile Operations Officer. But you may know him better as one of the most prominent voices on YouTube throughout the war, someone with absolute moral clarity about who the victim of the war is – spoilers, it's Ukraine – and who brings direct military experience to his detailed analysis of the unfolding conflict. Do please subscribe to his channel for videos updates on the war in Ukraine as well as conversations with engaging speakers, expert guests, and other YouTubers. ---------- SILICON CURTAIN FILM FUNDRAISER - A project to make a documentary film in Ukraine, to raise awareness of Ukraine's struggle and in supporting a team running aid convoys to Ukraine's frontline towns. https://buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain/extras ---------- CHAPTERS: 00:02:05 It's a war of attrition. It's about who can tolerate the horrors of war longer. 00:05:12 How does empire benefit you if you don't have running water and heat? 00:06:41 Ukraine should be going after Russia's thermal power plants in winter. 00:09:56] Donald Trump is working with Vladimir Putin, based on all available evidence. 00:11:55 The only thing dictators want is legitimacy and respect, nothing negative. 00:16:02 I'm going to resist this coalition of Donald Trump, Elon Musk and Putin. 00:20:55 In the US we view life as a game. And the scoreboard is your bank account. 00:23:29 10,000 troops sent by Kim Jong Un is nothing in the grand scheme of this war. 00:28:37 Technology will make it impossible for North Korea to remain a closed society. 00:32:56 Idea of frozen conflict entertains the idea Russia would ever stop willingly. 00:35:30 Putin talking to Elon Musk. Musk endorsed Trump. Putin talking to Trump. 00:39:03 Put your head back in the sand is the strategy of a lot of European politicians. 00:42:17 Poland, The Baltics, Finland join NATO. And they all have peace. 00:46:31 During Soviet times, Ukraine was an economic and engineering powerhouse. 00:49:04 We must apply pressure to our politicians to be doing more for Ukraine. 00:51:32 Stay informed. Stay engaged. Keep supporting Ukraine. Russia will break first. ---------- LINKS: https://www.youtube.com/@JakeBroe https://twitter.com/RealJakeBroe https://www.instagram.com/jakebroe/ https://www.buymeacoffee.com/jakebroe https://www.patreon.com/join/jakebroe ---------- SUPPORT THE CHANNEL: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/siliconcurtain https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- TRUSTED CHARITIES ON THE GROUND: Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ Superhumans - Hospital for war traumas https://superhumans.com/en/ UNBROKEN - Treatment. Prosthesis. Rehabilitation for Ukrainians in Ukraine https://unbroken.org.ua/ Come Back Alive https://savelife.in.ua/en/ Chefs For Ukraine - World Central Kitchen https://wck.org/relief/activation-chefs-for-ukraine UNITED24 - An initiative of President Zelenskyy https://u24.gov.ua/ Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation https://prytulafoundation.org ---------- PLATFORMS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/CurtainSilicon Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/siliconcurtain/ Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4thRZj6NO7y93zG11JMtqm Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkjonathan/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/siliconcurtain ---------- Welcome to the Silicon Curtain podcast. Please like and subscribe if you like the content we produce. It will really help to increase the popularity of our content in YouTube's algorithm. Our material is now being made available on popular podcasting platforms as well, such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

The US election is approaching quickly with implications for America's allies in the world. Professors Margarita Šešelgyte (Vilnius University), Daunis Auers (University of Latvia), and Andres Kasekamp (University of Toronto) join a roundtable discussion on the impact that a Kamala Harris or Donald Trump presidency could have on the security and future outlook of the Baltic countries and broader Europe, and how people in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are feeling about the state of democracy in the US. This episode was recorded on September 25, 2024. TranscriptIndra Ekmanis: Thank you everyone for joining me in this discussion today. As we all know, the US presidential campaign has been rather unprecedented on many fronts this cycle. There's been the late change in the candidates at the top of the Democratic ticket from Joe Biden to Kamala Harris. And now we've had already multiple assassination attempts on the Republican candidate Donald Trump.And we know that whatever happens in November will certainly have effects on Americans, but it will also have reverberations around the world. And so I'm very glad to today be in discussion with you all about the potential impacts in the Baltic countries. But before we jump in, I'd like to ask you all to briefly introduce yourselves.Andres Kasekamp: I'm Andres Kasekamp. I'm the Professor of Estonian Studies at the University of Toronto. I used to be the Director of the Estonian Foreign Policy Institute in Tallinn and a Professor at the University of Toronto.Daunis Auers: Hi, I'm Daunis Auers, a professor at the University of Latvia and also the director of a new think tank Certus in Riga.Margarita Šešelgytė: Hello, I'm Margarita Šešelgytė, and I'm a professor of security studies, but also a director of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University.IE: Well, thank you all. So, I'd like to start with what is perhaps top of mind when people are thinking about the impacts of the US elections on the Baltic countries, and that's security, NATO, and Russia's war in Ukraine.So if we start with NATO: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania marked two decades in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization this year. The alliance itself is now 75 years old, celebrating at its summit in Washington, D.C., hosted by president and at that point in time, still beleaguered Democratic candidate Joe Biden, where Biden underscored NATO unity. And during the summit, it was widely reported that the allies were working to “Trump proof” the Alliance as polls showed that Biden was slipping in the presidential race.Trump, of course, is remembered as deriding the Alliance, threatening to pull out entirely during his presidency. And at the same time, he is also somewhat credited with pushing member states to up their defense spending. With Biden out, of course, the calculus has perhaps changed a little bit.Vice President and now candidate Kamala Harris represents some measure of continuity with the Biden administration, though we know that her foreign policy experience is not necessarily as deep as Biden's. But a Harris presidency would be more compatible theoretically with the tradition of America as a stable leader in the transatlantic relationship.And obviously a strong NATO is critical to the security of the Baltic States. So, I wonder how you perceive the candidate stances on NATO and how they align with Baltic interests.AK: All right, briefly, Trump would be a disaster and Harris, indeed, would represent continuity with, with Biden. It goes back to the nature of the candidates, right, that Trump is a purely transactional individual, and doesn't seem to understand how NATO works.He's always said that the NATO countries owe the Americans money. It's not an organization where you pay a membership fee, so he simply doesn't get it. It is sort of partly true that European members who weren't doing enough spending on their own defense budgets, have been frightened into contributing more.Trump has something to do with it, but it has more to do with Russian aggression, in the region. So starting already in 2014 when Russia seized Crimea, European countries started increasing their spending. With the Harris presidency, it would be sort of more of the same, which is better than Trump, but it's certainly not as good as America could do, because Joe Biden has been failing Ukraine recently and placing these unreasonable restrictions on Ukraine's right to strike at Russian targets to defend itself.And hopefully Harris wouldn't continue that weak kneed policy.DA: I agree with what Andres has said, but I think it's quite interesting to look at the perspective also of Baltic Americans who after all will be voting in the election, unlike, I presume, the three of us—Margarita, Andres and I—who, as not being American citizens won't have a vote in the elections.And traditionally, there's been quite a lot of support for the Republican Party amongst the Baltic diasporas, because during the Cold War, the Republicans were seen as having the strongest backbone in defending Baltic interests. And much of this support actually carried over into the Trump era with a significant portion of Baltic Americans, especially from the older generation, still holding out support for Trump.And what I thought was interesting was that after Trump announced J.D. Vance as his vice-presidential candidate, the attitudes of many Baltic Americans actually changed because a lot of the affection for Trump is deeply personal, connected to his charismatic personality, the way he speaks, the way he does business, the way he calls back, sort of an ancient era of essentially a white America, from the 1950s.J.D. Vance doesn't have this affection. And when J.D. Vance was announced as the vice-presidential candidate, people were bringing out his notorious op-ed in the New York Times on April 12th, which was very defeatist in its nature, calling out various quotes that he had of not really caring who won in the war between Ukraine and Russia.And this was the moment that a number of Baltic Americans turned away from the Republicans and turned towards the Democrats. So, I would perhaps highlight the role of J.D. Vance in furthering support for the Democrats at least amongst the Baltic community in the United States.MS: I totally agree to what has been said already, but then I'd like to look from a more systemic perspective, and just to add to what has been said: We live in a very volatile security situation at the moment and this dynamism, security-wise, will not be changing pretty soon because there are some changes in the balance of power the rivalry between autocracies and democracies.So where do we stand as Baltic countries? We are small countries, and we have a major war in our region. And therefore, for us, it is essentially important to have our allies strong and to have our allies helping us. The United States is our main ally when it comes to security. Yes, we are members of NATO, but in terms of deterring Putin, one has to think about deterrence as a psychological concept.Putin is less afraid of NATO as overall organization than he is afraid of the United States of America. So having this in mind, the one who sits in Washington D.C. in the presidential position for us is essential as well. In Athena, we had already two elections this year, presidential and European Parliament elections, and the parliamentary elections are coming in October.But we're joking that the elections in the United States are more important than the elections in Lithuania and the change would be felt stronger of who comes to power in the United States.Interestingly enough, one of our media outlets just recently published a survey asking Lithuanians: Who would be a better president for Lithuania in the United States, Trump or, Harris? The majority of Lithuanians, 66 percent, said Harris and only 12 indicated that that could be Trump. So, for us, it's very important. It matters. We follow this election very, very closely.And I would say there are two points which are particularly important for Lithuania. Yes, NATO and US presence in the region. And we don't know what position Harris will take or if she will be more involved in the Pacific. But it's about stability. That's important.And another very important question, and it's very intertwined, is the war in Ukraine. And we already heard what Trump was saying about Ukraine, that when he becomes the president, he will seek for a certain deal. And for us Baltics, it's clear that no deal with Putin can be achieved at the moment, and it would be dangerous, and it would endanger our situation. So it's not acceptable.IE: You're actually running into kind of my next question here, which is exactly about Russia and Ukraine. And as we know, the Baltic states have been among the most ardent supporters of Ukraine following the full-scale invasion in 2022. Also, we know that the Baltic leadership has been quite hawkish warning about Russia for some time.And as you just mentioned, Donald Trump has refused to say that he wants Ukraine to end the war. He often talks about his rapport with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Harris, on the other hand, has called Putin a dictator who would, “eat Trump for lunch.” She has condemned the Russia's actions in Ukraine as crimes against humanity and underscored the US commitment.But as you also mentioned, there has been a slow roll of US advanced weaponry and providing the ability for Ukraine to hit targets deeper into Russia, something that is actually being talked about right now at the UN General Assembly.Could you say a little bit more on the candidates' stances on Ukraine and Russia and in the war more broadly, what that means for Baltic leaderships and Baltic publics?DA: I think that the presidential debate, which I think looks like being the only debate between the two candidates, pretty accurately sketched in the difference, between the candidates. President Trump very much was hooked into the Kremlin narrative.He said that he was for peace, which we understand here in Europe as meaning you are for Russia because you bought into the narrative. He even mentioned that the United States holds some responsibility for the war as opposed for it to be a decision made by Russia to invade a sovereign country.I think we quite clearly saw that one of the candidates is, despite the macho image, quite soft on Russia. And the other one is fixing more clearly with the governing elites in the Baltic States perspective on, the war on Ukraine. One thing we should mention, however, there is an undercurrent of support for Trump in the Baltic States.In, Latvia, there is a political party named Latvia First—where did they get that name from—which sits in the parliament in opposition and is clearly Trumpian. They managed to have one MEP (Member of European Parliament) elected to the European Parliament. And in one of the debates, he was asked a very technical question about how he would vote on a trade deal with certain countries.He said, “well, I would do whatever Trump does. If it's good enough for Trump, it's good enough for me.” And he pretty much attached this to any other form of foreign policy. Now, this is a minority party, but we should recognize that there is some support for the Trumpian position albeit not in a governing position in the Baltic states. I'll hand over to Andres now.AK: Well, the same applies for Estonia, where the major opposition party EKRE (Conservative People's Party) on the far right is very clearly Trumpian. There's also, more alarming in this case, a lot of the mainstream media, like Postimees and the foreign news desk of the national broadcaster seem to normalize Trump.They don't point out his really deviant and demented behavior but treat him like a normal candidate. So, I also feel that there are plenty of people in Estonia who think that Trump has some good ideas, or at least they're so angry at the woke folks, that they're willing to entertain Trump, not recognizing the great damage that Trump would do to the Transatlantic Alliance and how he would put NATO deterrence, its credibility, in question.And I think that's what Margarita was saying earlier, right? Deterrence is psychological. It's not only what we do, it's what Putin believes, right? If Putin believes that the United States is ready to defend us, then he will be deterred. And that's, that's the bottom line.And with Trump, that's the one thing that's been consistent. I mean, he flip-flops on everything, criticizes everything, but the one thing he's been consistent on, he's never said a bad word about Putin, which really is not just odd, but quite alarming.MS: Well, I just want to add on what has been said in terms of the differences between the Harris and Trump. We don't know exactly what the policies of Harris will be because we don't know her so well, but for us, the most important thing is the stability, because if Trump becomes US president, it's not only what he does, but what kind of messages he sends.Andrus was already mentioning the messages for Putin, what's happening in Putin's head, understanding what Trump's messaging is. But also for the world, we are more secure and stronger together in European Union, in NATO, as transatlantic family and community.If Trump comes to power, the world will become a more dangerous place, because there will be more rifts and disagreements between allies, and we will be seen as weaker as a transatlantic community, not only by Russia, but by China, by Iran, by North Korea. So, it is a very dangerous scenario for us small states, because we cannot change the system. The system affects us.DA: And in the event of a Trump victory, I think there would be a much greater focus from policymakers in the Baltic states on the diaspora community in the United States. The diaspora community played a very important role in the Baltic accession to NATO in the late 1990s, early 2000s. And clearly one thing that Trump does listen to is voters, supporters, and interest groups in Washington. And I think the role of JBANC (Joint Baltic American National Committee) and also the three national lobby groups of American Latvians, American Lithuanian, and Estonian Americans will simply grow in importance, hugely. We can expect them to have quite a lot of communication and cooperation with our foreign ministries and with our embassies, even more so than at the moment.IE: Yeah, that's a really fascinating point too, that the impact of the diaspora lobbying groups in the United States. You all are touching on something that I also wanted to get at, which is the impact of the US elections on European solidarity. You mentioned how Trump's America first agenda has also emboldened right wing politicians in Europe and the Baltics.He has a close relationship with Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary. Who has also even spoken at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference in the United States, but has been in some ways a thorn in the side of the European Union particularly around Russia.During his presidency, Donald Trump also often tried to bypass European institutions, kind of favoring a bilateral approach and personal appeals to national leaders. Harris presidency represents more of a stable transatlantic relationship, but there's also the concern that, as Margarita mentioned, that there's going to be a shift in attention to the Indo-Pacific. The People's Republic of China is seen kind of as this coming-up threat.So, some questions here. What is the situation of the European Union? How united or divided might the block be with either candidate? How is Europe thinking about retaining the focus of the United States as opposed to a shift to other global regions?Where do the Baltic states fit into that? Maybe we start from the Lithuanian perspective this time.MS: It's a very tough question. I think that when the war in Ukraine started, the European Union has surprised itself by its unity. And over the last three years, I think that this unity pertained, and we continue to be united.We sometimes disagree on how fast Europe has to be in providing certain aid for Ukraine. We sometimes disagree on how strict we have to be on punishing Putin in terms of sanctions, et cetera, et cetera. But in general, there is a consensus that we're sitting in the same boat, and this is a European war andI think that this is very important.Therefore, there is an appetite to continue supporting Ukraine until the end of the war, until the victory. But the problem is that there is this unity, which is very strong on the decision takers, decision-makers' level. But if you scratch the surface, you see that there are many different opinions.Businesses, communities, general society, different players do not share the general decision-makers' opinion, not in every country. States of the European Union are facing their own economic, political, and identity problems. And what makes me anxious is the tide of radical populism in certain European countries, and in particular in the biggest countries who matter a lot in the decision-making of the European Union.And maybe in the next two or three years, we won't be seeing those radicals overtaking the government. Well, let's hope fingers crossed that in Germany, the elections will not bring AfD (Alternative for Germany) to power. However, it reduces certain policies, international policies, foreign policies, to a minimal level rather than emboldening them.So there could be some steps back, which might be quite dangerous in these final stages of the war, or what we are seeing now, when at least Ukrainian side is trying to search for certain agreements. So, yes, there is a unity that also benefits the Baltic countries.European countries are listening to what we said more and Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, in her State of the Union speech, said we should have listened more to the Baltic countries. But I guess the appetite to listen to Baltic countries is shrinking a bit for the time and also when we propose certain solutions, they still seem very provocative and more provocative than some of the EU countries would like to take.AK: Let me just add that in American debate, when they talk about Europe, they talk about Europe as kind of lagging behind and being a slacker in support for Ukraine, which is absolutely false, right? The United States is obviously spending more in absolute terms than any other country in terms of military. But as a whole Europe is providing more altogether.And of course, we should really be looking at the contribution in terms of the percentages. And here, the three Baltic states, from the beginning, have been the leaders, along with some other countries like, like Denmark and Sweden, who have given a percentage of their defense budget to Ukraine, which is much greater than the percentage that the Americans are giving.Americans are actually being quite miserly, even though the sums sound huge. And of course, in the American case, the money, which in the US political debate seems that it's just being handed over to Ukraine, is actually going to American manufacturers. And a lot of the money is actually just nominal sums, which are old American armament, equipment, and ammunitions, which were destined to be written off. In any case they're given some monetary value.So, this is something that's really caught on in the narrative in the US: The Americans are paying so much, and the Europeans are doing so little, which is certainly not the case. When you look at the three Baltic states, which have been, continue to be in the lead, and that leads to what Margarita was highlighting.Our establishments, our political leadership in the Baltic States are very firm on Russia, but as a society, there's a cost to that. If we've all raised our defense spending, that means cuts in societal programs, and that leads to dissatisfaction and unrest.So, that's difficult for the governments to keep a check on.DA: Europe is changing. We see this in the European Parliament elections in 2024, that you have this growing support for political parties on the fringes, which we sometimes call as populists, and the support for the centrist mainstream parties, which we typically understand as the liberals, the center right, the Christian Democrats, or the European People's Party and the centrist socialists are declining.Now, they still make up a majority, and we see this in the European Commission as well. The European Commission, which is likely to be approved over the next couple of weeks under Ursula von der Leyen, is still a centrist European Commission, but Europe is changing. And I think it's quite interesting if we look at the Baltic States here.30 years ago, as the Baltic States were just beginning to build democracies and capitalistic systems after 50 years of Soviet occupation, they were quite crackpot, right? I was reading some newspaper articles from the early 1990s, and the one that stayed with me—it's a casual throwaway article written sometime in late 1992 about, oh by the way, 62 prisoners escaped to prison yesterday, and they haven't been caught yet.And the next day, it's not even on the front page of a newspaper, because there's some kind of mafia killing that's being reported on. And that's how things were 30 years ago. Today, the Baltic states are a sea of tranquility. We see that our political systems are actually far more stable, if you look at recent indicators, than the Nordic states.You look at the profile of our governments, the female prime ministers that we had in office in the summer, Europe's first, openly gay president. We have very progressive political systems, and it's Western Europe where democracy is declining in quality, where crackpot political parties are appearing, where you have extremely dodgy political leaders being elected to lead governments and extremely odd parties coming into governments or propping up minority governments.Europe is changing quite a lot, which is unfortunate for the Baltic States in a sense, because just as we have achieved a level of normality. Lithuania is achieving huge economic success as being the fastest growing economy in Europe in the 21st century, the rest of Europe is fraying.Fortunately, there's still a majority, let's say a mainstream majority, which favors support for Ukraine and whose policies broadly align with the very centrist and mainstream policies that all three Baltic governments have long been adopting. But things are changing and there is a risk that the longer the war possibly drags on in Ukraine, the more—I'm sure that opinion in the Baltic states won't change because this is such an existential issue for us—but elsewhere in Western Europe, we might see these radical populist forces rise even further and perhaps begin to fray away at the coalition, which is still broadly supportive of Ukraine. But it is being chipped away at almost monthly, I would say.IE: I want to put a pin in some of the things that you just touched on around the state of democracy, maybe we can turn back to that in a moment.Perhaps we can briefly turn to the impacts of either candidate on US trade policy and energy.MS: It's a global issue. And globally, it is important when it comes to the general situation in transatlantic community, the feeling of trust. But when it comes to Baltics, I don't that it has this direct link to what is important for us. I believe that neither decision-makers nor society are looking in particular what Trump or Harris are saying in terms of energy policy and trade.Okay, he [Trump] can increase tariffs for Latin products, but there are now so many going to the United States.DA: For the Baltic States, our biggest trading partners are our Western neighbors. In the case of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, are one and two. Then the Nordic countries, Poland, Germany, and so on.I took a look at the data for 2022, and the United States was Latvia's 11th biggest trading partner: small, single digits. Latvia for the United States was the 117th biggest trading partner. So, when it comes to economic relations, including also energy, it's not a critical relationship.Politically, the relationship is very, very important. But economically, when it comes to trade, it's marginal.AK: Well, let me just add that for the bilateral relationship, it's not important, but the tone that the US administration sets is not a good direction for the Baltic states. Trump initiated this protectionism, and Biden unfortunately has continued in that same vein.And we don't really know how Harris will continue Biden's legacy on that front. But in any case, the world has become more protectionist. And the three Baltic states have been amongst the biggest champions and beneficiaries of free trade, right? And for an open, globalized economy. This wave of protectionism, which Trump initiated, and Biden has continued in a general picture, is bad for the world and bad for the Baltic states.DA: There is an alternative view to that, Andres, which is that, because of the policies, the global value chains are becoming more compact, they're becoming more localized. And as the global value chains are, let's say, semi-returned to Europe, away from Asia, then the Baltic States together with Poland and other countries are expected to be the big beneficiaries of, say, manufacturing returning to Europe.I don't think it's such a black and white picture, but a collapsing global trade is necessarily bad for the Baltic States. It depends on the domestic policies which are adopted that can seize the opportunity in a sense.MS: And when it comes to energy, if the United States chooses to become the major player in the world in terms of energy supply, it could change and change in general, the picture of the world that we have.But that is a big question: the tracking issue, getting further away from the green plan or implementing this plan. There are advantages and disadvantages of either path.In order to stop climate change, I think fracking would be quite a bad decision because it's increasing dependency on this fuel. But when it comes to changing the power balance, that could be the way to end the war in Ukraine, pushing Russia to the corner, because the bulk of its budget comes from natural resources.This would add more competition: increasing the supply of energy resources in the world's market.IE: For a non-question, that actually was a quite interesting response.But to come back to the idea—Donna you were talking about people's feelings of democracy and the shift in the way that the Baltic states perhaps are perceiving or showing off their strength, in democracy—you all sort of mentioned attitudes on the ground.I'd like to explore that a little bit more. I mean, Margarita noted that people think of the American elections as potentially more consequential than the upcoming elections in Lithuania. Do you feel that on a day-to-day basis? Is it just in surveys or are people paying attention? Do they care?And how do they view the state of democracy in the United States, which I think is a big question on this side of the Atlantic.DA: Well, I think we clearly see that the media in Latvia, at least, are following this election much more closely than previous elections. Certainly, that's because of the nature of the election taking place at a time of war, not so far away from us.But it's also because of the candidates and especially Trump. I mean, Trump is news. He's magnetic. And there is a feeling about, “Wow, look at this guy.” Some people look at him in awe. I would say a majority look at him in confusion as to, as to why is it that he's so attractive to American voters.But certainly, the nature of the candidates, as well as the context of the election, is something which draws public attention. And we see a lot of newscasts, a lot of discussion shows, both on television and online portals, dedicated to the American elections more so than in previous years.AK: In fact, as soon as we finish recording this, I will have to go to an Estonian webcast to discuss the US election. So, indeed, there's plenty of interest and a realization that this matters to us in the Baltic states quite a bit, but that's been the case for previous US elections as well.Trump just adds this more of a circus atmosphere to it that was perhaps not present and a sort of polarizing view. But when you talked earlier about the impact of Trump on Europe, I can remember back to when Obama was elected, right?And the response in Europe was: Western Europeans loved him. Eastern Europeans were a little bit more skeptical, but even the Western Europeans who loved Obama were very disappointed by the man because he was focused on a pivot to Asia. And he didn't give the Europeans the deference and the time of day that his predecessors had.So that's already a shift that's been going on for quite some time and Biden has been the throwback to the way things were, but I think we can expect that Biden will be sort of the last real trans-Atlanticist American president.MS: Yeah, I just want to pick what Andras was mentioning in terms of the policies of the potential US leader, President Harris or President Trump, and the consequences for the Baltic countries. I think that this pivot to Asia is very consequential, and the consequences are increasing with time.And first of all, it was more economic and political, but now it's also related to defense. We've seen, one of the former advisors of Trump, Elbridge Colby, say that Taiwan and the security of Taiwan, would be a more important issue than the security of Europe or Eastern Europe and that he would advise Baltic countries to not stop at 3 percent spending from GDP, but continue spending more for defense and reaching perhaps 10 percent, which is a lot of money.And I don't think it's attainable in the near future. However, the US Pivot to Asia had an effect on Lithuanian policies. If your major ally pivots to Asia, you have to pivot there as well. I think that there is more Asia in Lithuania and there is more Lithuania in Asia in the Indo-Pacific at the moment.First of all, it started with the hosting of Taiwanese representation in Vilnius under the name of Taiwan, which became a major issue for China. A major argument with China ensued on economic, secondary sanctions that China was threatening with political ranting and a lot of other things.But then due to this disagreement, we discovered a lot of potential for cooperation in this area. At the moment, the economic relationships with Indo-Pacific countries are increasing quite speedily. And there are more of those countries, like South Korea and Japan, in Lithuania, both politically, but also economically.And we are also discussing our security corporation, particularly in the era of cyber security. I think that this is an important turn for Lithuania, probably for other Baltic countries to a less extent, but still, and this is also a certain security net for us. If there will be some more speedy pivot to Asia under the Trump presidency, we might also try to ask our friends in Taiwan to say some good words about Lithuania and our security to the ear of Trump, because Trump most likely will listen what Taiwanese are saying.IE: Well, you've kind of tackled the last question head on, which is what are the Baltic States doing to ensure their own futures? Regardless of who ends up in the White House in November. I want to open it up for any last words or thoughts on the subject.Any final conclusions that you'd like to share?DA: Well, I think a big development, possibly a positive outcome from the events in Ukraine, is the additional impetus for Baltic cooperation. Because Baltic cooperation really has lagged for the last 30 years. If we compare the way in which the Baltic states work with each other to our closest neighbors, the Nordics, we don't really cooperate. We've imitated some of the institutions of the North, but we haven't really enacted them. We haven't sort of like full-bloodedly, adopted them. But we can see that when it comes to defense, there are some very serious initiatives, which have moved ahead recently.I think procurement is one of the big areas where we see Latvia cooperating with Estonia, for example, in air defense systems, in buying training grenades. We also have a cooperation between Latvia and Lithuania on respirators. We have the Baltic defense line—although that seems to be being executed individually by each state—but it was still a common announcement with a common aim, and so on. It would be great if this was an impetus for even further Baltic cooperation, because there are many areas where we would benefit from cooperating with each other in a sort of Nordic style politically, economically, culturally, and so on.Because we are an extremely dynamic region of Europe, especially if we look at the Lithuanian economy, which is to an outsider, an amazing story. What's happened there over the last 20 years is a story to tell, and there is a common identity and common political structures which can be built upon, beginning with this enhanced military cooperation, but taking that to various political and economic levels as well.So that's one thing that I would end on attempting to be more positive.AK: I would just add and expand on Daunis, for the regional cooperation, of course, is much wider. It's a Nordic Baltic cooperation, which is the most intense and active at the moment. And the one good outcome of Putin's invasion of Ukraine has been Finland and Sweden joining NATO, which has given a real impetus to Nordic Baltic cooperation, which was already strong in all other fields.But now with defense cooperation also, we're all much closer together in the region and it's one of the most dynamic regions in the European Union.MS: I guess I'm obliged to step even further on the European level. I don't know how strong this political will and commitment in the European institutions and in some European countries will continue to be. I guess it will depend at the end of the day on the level of a threat—but we will not be living in a less threatening environment in the future—and the appetite to build strong defense industry and defense in Europe.That's a very, very important step forward. And if one thing is to come from the Ukrainian War, I would say that this would be a very, very important thing for the future of the European Union as the player in international politics.IE: Well, Professors Kasekamp, Šešelgytė, Auers. Thank you so much for your time for your commentary and we really appreciate you taking the time to speak on this subject. Thank you very much. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fpribalticinitiative.substack.com

We explore the game-changing world of cleantech and sustainability, showcasing the crucial roles and innovative approaches of industry leaders. We'll explore the intersections of policy, technology, and market strategies that drive the green transition in sectors ranging from waste management to sustainable manufacturing. Kädi Ristkok, CEO of the Estonian Cleantech Association discusses the integral role of cleantech in driving sustainable growth across Estonia and the Baltics, highlighting the need for scaling existing technologies to meet climate neutrality by 2050.Petri-Jaan Lahtvee, PhD. Co-founder and COO of ÄIO explores advancements in biotechnology for producing sustainable fats and oils, detailing the transition from academic research to commercial application.Kristjan Variksoo, CTO of Wastelocker explains company´s innovative AI and camera technology in waste management, aimed at improving sorting and achieving zero waste goals and also discusses the company's expansion into the Middle East.

Baltic Ways kicks off a new slate of episodes with an introduction to hosts Dr. Indra Ekmanis and Ben Gardner-Gill, and previews of upcoming topics.Baltic Ways is a podcast brought to you by the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, produced in partnership with the Baltic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AABS or FPRI.TranscriptIndra Ekmanis: Hello, and welcome to Baltic Ways, the podcast bringing you interviews and insights from the world of Baltic Studies. I'm your host, Indra Ekmanis.Ben Gardner-Gill: And I am your co-host, Ben Gardner-Gill. IE: And we are excited to bring you a new slate of podcast episodes this upcoming season. But before we do that, we wanted to take the opportunity to learn a little bit more about each other as co-hosts and give our listeners a chance to hear about our past Baltic Studies and how the podcast came to be.Stay tuned.So then you've been a guest host on Baltic Ways before and in this season, you'll be joining us more regularly as co-host. But I would love it if you could tell us a little bit more about your background and how you came to be involved in Baltic Studies.BGG: Absolutely. I've had a real deep interest in the Baltic region since I first set foot in Estonia in 2016, I was there on an internship at the Museum of Occupations, as it was then called, now Vabamu. I have had an interest in the broader region of Eastern and Central Europe, dating back to high school and before, just because I have some family roots in the region, but not so much from the Baltic region specifically.S o happening upon this internship in Estonia was a great stroke of luck because I got to learn a great deal about the country, its history, its politics, got to engage on subjects which I'm really interested in—20th century history—in particular, memory studies, and political science. And what really was the start of what is now going to be a lifelong interest is meeting people and getting to know Estonian culture a bit and to make Estonian friends. And I've had the great honor of being able to return to Estonia and see some of those people again and stay in touch with others.I've also been to Latvia and Lithuania a couple times. Most recently, last year in 2023 for the Conference on Baltic Studies in Europe, CBSE Acronis. That's where my interest comes from. And Indra, back at you: I know that your roots in the Baltic region go back a little further.IE: Yes. So my interest in Baltics studies is both personal and professional. Um, my father who was from Latvia was a Baltic studies scholar and he was involved in the association for the advancement of Baltic studies. So I grew up sort of immersed in this world. all Of my school projects growing up were certainly related to Latvia or the Baltic states. I remember very clearly a poster on the presidency of Davorko Vidovic de Verga. I remember writing about Latvia's accession to the European Union, to NATO. But it was only really when I started to professionalize my research and scholarship that I suddenly had this realization that, of course I could've gone in any other different academic direction, but I'm glad I stuck with Baltic studies and I ended up at the University of Washington for graduate school. And that is where I really started to narrow my focus. My undergraduate degree was also in global studies, but at the University of Washington, I really started to think about identity formation in the Baltic states, in the diaspora; Russian speaker identity, post-Soviet identity, and the mechanisms of society and government that support that identity formation; and the way that we think about who we are, the languages that we speak, and the nationalities that we perform, depending on context. So, of course this was influenced by my own experiences in Latvia and as a member of the diaspora in the United States. But I was really fortunate to be at the University of Washington, where of course one of my main advisors was Dr. Guntis Šmidchens, who has also long been involved in the Association for the Advancement of Politics Studies. And it was through his encouragement that I became more heavily involved in AABS (Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies) and now including leading the podcast initiative. I think Baltic studies is one of those unique fields where you really benefit from having an interdisciplinary lens. It allows you to connect with colleagues who are looking at similar problems from a different perspective and that's something that I find particularly interesting. And I think it's one of the reasons that Baltic Ways, our podcast, is a really fascinating one because you have many different entry points into the world of Baltic studies, whether you're interested in economics or culture, identity, formation, politics, cybersecurity, or whatever it might be. There are just so many ways to get into Baltic studies, so many ways to be connected to the field. And it's always really interesting to hear about another aspect of the region that maybe doesn't cross your research path on an everyday basis, but maybe has some lessons for the work that you do. So, tell me a little bit more about your involvement with the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies.BGG: I serve as the assistant director for outreach and engagement. It's a part-time position. So I run the association's social media app. I have a hand in web development, the quarterly newsletter, the annual bulletin, which we work on together as well. And I picked up the podcast guest hosting duties, recently, which I was really excited for. Why I particularly was excited to add the podcast to my range of duties was exactly what you just said: It was to provide different entry points for people into Baltic studies. I've spoken with listeners who are coming from really different perspectives. Folks who have a pretty similar background to me, maybe in 20th century history, maybe with an interest in politics, who come in from that angle. I also have turned on a couple of friends to this podcast who have no academic background in Baltic studies. And they find something familiar in some of these episodes because one thing we try to do, and I would dare to say tend to do well, is try to get the meat of the why out of our interviews. Like, okay, what's the sort of critical thing to understand here? Why is this important? Why is this something that people should care about?That's something I really enjoy doing,in the fields that I have a background in, but even more so in disciplines and with experts from fields I don't have a background in. That is something I've really enjoyed and look forward to continuing, this season and maybe beyond.So, Andrea, we've talked a bit about the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, AABS, but the other partner in this podcast is the Foreign Policy Research Institute, FPRI, where you are a fellow. Can you tell us a little bit more about FPRI and how that collaboration was born?IE: Yeah. So FPRI, the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, is a non-partisan, foreign policy think tank. I am a Baltic Sea fellow, in their Baltic initiative, which is under the Eurasia research program. And I actually came to learn about FPRI through an AABS conference where they hosted a luncheon. And after that conference, I began contributing to the Baltic bulletin, which is part of their Baltic initiative. I later became the editor of the Baltic newsletter, which goes out monthly and then the editor of the Baltic bulletin. And it is a really great way to keep in touch with new research and timely topics, primarily around foreign policy in the Baltic Sea region. But as we've talked about, as part of the podcast, there is also the opportunity to think more expansively about Baltic studies in the region. And so when there was interest from AABS to launch Baltic Ways, it seemed like a natural fit and a good opportunity to do so in partnership with FPRI's Baltic initiative, to reach a broad audience of people who are both heavily involved and tangentially interested in the Baltic sea region in a variety of different ways. So to get back to this season, I think we're really excited to continue this collaboration with FPRI, and for you and I, Ben, to start collaborating by sharing these co-hosting duties. We're excited to explore some interesting topics in Baltic studies: some that are very timely and others that are more evergreen. For example, in an upcoming episode, we will talk about the US elections and the impact on the Baltic countries: what either a Kamala Harris or a Donald Trump presidency might look like for Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.BGG: I'm also hoping to speak with some colleagues about decolonization, particularly in the light of the last few years of both public and academic discourse.And we'll also be taking a sort of a European look, at the EU level, with some of the stances of the Baltic states and their positioning. For example, Kayakalas, former prime minister of Estonia, is now going to be the High Representative for foreign affairs, a very senior position in the EU. So what does that mean among other things for the Baltic states?So there's that. There's also more to come, in terms of new scholarship. As you said, we're looking at a range of topics, both in the news and things that are up and coming from the academic space. So, it's gonna be a great mix of topics this year.IE: I'm excited and I'm looking forward to hearing more. And of course we'd love to invite our audience to also send us ideas, topics, or scholars that you'd like to hear on Baltic Ways. BGG: Or if you're a scholar who'd like to be on Baltic Ways also let us know. IE: Yes. Yes. We'd love to chat. Well, thanks so much, Ben, for joining me in this intro, as we jump into a new season of Baltic Ways. BGG: Yes, likewise. IE: Yeah. And thank you to our audience for tuning in. Be sure to follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and we look forward to seeing you for our October episode.  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fpribalticinitiative.substack.com

Soviet occupation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania ended 30 years ago but to many, it could have been yesterday.  How secure are these states, and what will happen to them if Ukraine falls?  Is there any change in security policy, in case of a Trump victory in the US? 

David Tavárez, originally from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, completed a degree in anthropology and visual environmental studies. He had several ideas for his future career, wavering between being a scientist or a filmmaker. He secured a place at the Writers Workshop in Iowa and an internship at the American University in Cairo. He spent a year in Cairo after graduation and supplemented that summer by writing about the Baltics for the Let's Go Europe travel series. Studying Indigenous Culture and ChristianityDavid worked as a journalist for a couple of years then decided to pursue a PhD at the University of Chicago in 1994, focusing on indigenous history. His interest was drawn to two languages, Nahuatl and Zapotec, which have a rich store of texts dating back to the 1530s. David discovered documents related to the arrival of Christianity in Mexico. These documents included calendars, cosmological manuals, and ritual songs written in Zapotec alphabetic script. After graduating from the University of Chicago, he worked at Bard College in Latin American and Iberian studies. He then moved to Vassar, a selective institution with a vibrant student body. David currently lives in Rhinebeck, New York, where he is a full professor in the anthropology department at Vassar. His first book, The Invisible War, explores how indigenous people in central Mexico confronted the church in colonial Mexico and managed to work with their ancestral beliefs while also embracing Christianity. He has translated several books into Spanish and collaborated with other scholars on a book on the great indigenous historian of colonial Mexico, Chimalpahin. The Indigenous Languages of the AmericasDavid's most recent book, Rethinking Zapotec Time, compiles two decades of work. The book, which received awards from the Native American Indigenous Studies Association, the Latin American Studies Association, and the New England Council of Latin American Studies, is a labor of love, aiming to understand the world of the ritual specialist and the Christians they confronted, as well as how they managed to survive and share ancestral beliefs and knowledge with others. The indigenous languages of the Americas before the 20th century were the most voluminous in terms of producing works. By the early 17th century, there were over 100 works, mostly religious, printed, and manuscripts. By the end of the colonial period, there were 1000s of works, mostly mundane literature, such as petitions, wills, and testaments. This diversity is comparable to Greek and Roman literature, but there are gaps and can only be reconstructed from later translations. Mexican songs, such as the Cantares Mexicanos, feature difficult language and are lyrical, sometimes difficult to understand. The most famous song is the Song of the Women of Chalco, which features warriors from a defeated polity dressing up as women and taunting the Aztec emperor Axayacatl. There are many convergences between indigenous intellectuals from the 16th century to present. This work highlights the physical and intellectual growth of different indigenous communities through colonial times and post-colonial legacies. The Zapotec Time-space Continuum The Zapotec conception of time is an eternal, 260-day calendar with specific meanings. They believed in a time-space continuum, where every day had divinatory meaning and moved people to specific regions in the cosmos. They had a notion of the cosmos as having three main domains: sky, earth, and Underworld, with other domains beyond the underworld relating to ancestral time and its origins. Time was seen as a way to think about Earth and the cosmos, rooted in geography and cosmology. They believed that everyone was taken on an eternal journey through space and time, allowing communication with ancestors. While their notion of the time-space continuum may not date back to Einstein or quantum physics, they believed that time and space were interconnected. Influential Harvard Courses and ProfessorsDavid mentions Rosemary Joyce, and taking classes with Noam Chomsky at MIT. He believes that there are many ways to approach and learn about remote worlds through experimental means, such as working with film and visual arts. David discusses his interest in working with ritual specialists and documentary filmmakers. He shares his desire to place students in the past through films and visual arts, such as Aguirre, the Wrath of the God by Werner Herzog, and The Mission.  Timestamps: 04:37: Indigenous history, language, and culture in Mexico 12:01: Indigenous perspectives on Spanish conquest and religion in Latin America 17:09: Indigenous Christian texts in the Americas, focusing on the complexity of colonialism and the diversity of indigenous experiences 25:00: Zapotec conception of time and its connection to geography, cosmology, and ancestral communication 31:08: History, filmmaking, and academia with a Vassar College professor Links: Vassar Faculty: https://www.vassar.edu/faculty/tavarez Guggenheim Fellows: https://www.gf.org/fellows/david-tavarez/ Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.ca/stores/David-Tavarez/author/B003XJJ3M6?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true   Featured Non-profit: The featured non-profit of this episode is, recommended by Ruth Hertzman-Miller who reports:    I'm Ruth Hertzman-Miller, class of 1992. The featured non-profit of this episode of The 92 report is North Cambridge Family Opera. NCFO performs original, entirely sung theater works for audiences of all ages with large casts from ages seven to adult ranging from people with no performance experience to classically trained vocalists. I'm proud to have performed with and written music for North Cambridge Family Opera. I've also been a board member for the past two years. You can learn more about their work at familyopera.org, and now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode. To learn more about their work visit: http://www.familyopera.org/drupal/

*This video was recorded during my backpacking trip through Yosemite in the end of July. The Baltic states - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - are taking one step closer to the Europeans with their upcoming electrical system swap. This switch from Russian to European electrical standards marks a significant shift for these nations. Full Newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/zeihan/the-baltics-ditch-russia-for-european-integration

Take our Listener Survey You could try playing out the four-dimensional chess game of how the global order will shift in the next 10-15 years for yourself, or you could hire Velina Tchakarova. Founder of the consultancy FACE, Velina is a geopolitical strategist guiding businesses and organizations to anticipate the outcomes of global conflicts, shifting alliances, and bleeding edge technologies on the world stage. In a globe-trotting conversation, Tyler and Velina start in the Balkans and then head to Russia, China, North Korea, and finally circle back to Putin's interest in the Baltics. She gives her take on whether the Balkan Wars still matter today, the future of Bulgarian nationalism, what predicts which Eastern European countries will remain closer to Russia, why China will not attack Taiwan, Putin's next move after Ukraine, where a nuclear weapon is most likely to be used next, how she sources intel, her unique approach to scenario-planning, and more. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video. Recorded May 20th, 2024. Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Velina on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here.