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When Francesca Ebel, a Russia correspondent for The Post, returned to one of Moscow's most popular nightclubs after Russia's invasion of Ukraine began, she noticed differences. The physical structure was there, but there were fewer young artists. Something had changed.What Ebel noticed that night was just one example of a bigger shift. Her reporting has since found that young Russians are increasingly embracing a culture of ultranationalist patriotism and Orthodox Christian values. Online influencers and Kremlin-sanctioned artists are changing the narratives on war and identity. An independent poll this year found a majority of Russians ages 18 to 24 support Russia's war in Ukraine. Conforming can bring rewards and career advancement. Defiance can mean jail – or worse. Today on “Post Reports,” Ebel speaks with host Elahe Izadi about her reporting inside Russia on how Putin's propaganda strategies toward Russian youth are working – and creating a new generation to carry forward the Kremlin's anti-Western ideology. Read more from The Post's “Russia, Remastered” series:We reported for months on changes sweeping Russia. Here's what we found.A wartime generation of youth molded by Putin's propaganda Artists say Putin's push for patriotism is killing Russian cultureTo please Putin, universities purge liberals and embrace patriotsHave babies for Russia: Putin presses women to embrace patriotism over feminismWashington and the West struggle for a way forward with Putin's RussiaToday's show was produced by Elana Gordon, with help from Emma Talkoff. It was mixed by Rennie Svirnovskiy, who also helped with translation. It was edited by Monica Campbell, with help from Maggie Penman. Thanks to David Herszenhorn, Paul Schemm and Jenn Amur. Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
Today, we hear about the secret negotiations that led to an extraordinary prisoner swap on Thursday. Among the freed: Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, other Americans, Russian dissidents – and a convicted assassin. Read more:On Thursday, the biggest exchange of prisoners since the height of the Cold War took place.The quiet negotiations took months between the U.S., Russia and several European nations. Among the at least two dozen people freed was Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, detained in Russia on charges of espionage in 2023. Also, Paul Whelan, a former Marine who had been imprisoned in Russia for more than five years. Russian dissidents, along with a convicted Russian assassin, were also among those freed. Host Martine Powers speaks with national security reporter Shane Harris about the buildup to this landmark prisoner swap, how it unfolded in these final hours and what the U.S. gave up to make it happen.Today's show was produced by Rennie Svirnovskiy, with help from Sabby Robinson and Emma Talkoff. It was edited by Monica Campbell, with support from Reena Flores. It was mixed by Sam Bair. Thanks to Jennifer Amur and David Herszenhorn.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.
Georgia's future is hanging in the balance. The former Soviet republic has seen mass protests for weeks, coming to a head today as riot police clashed with pro-European demonstrators after its parliament passed a controversial "foreign agents" bill which critics say mirrors a law in Russia used to crack down on any opposition, dissent, and NGOs. Georgia's president Salome Zourabichvili joins the program from Tbilisi. Also on today's show: Andriy Zagorodnyuk, former Ukrainian Defense Minister; David Herszenhorn, Russia, Ukraine Editor, The Washington Post; Reza Aslan; Author, "A Kids Book About Israel & Palestine" Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Guests include Dr. Morton Rinder from St. Luke's to talk about heart health, and David Herszenhorn from the Washington Post to talk about Alexi Navalny
It's impossible not to admire somebody who is willing to stand up for their country, for freedom and democracy, for the idea that Russians should be able to chart their own future and have a say in what their government looks like.David HerszenhornAccess Bonus Episodes on PatreonMake a one-time Donation to Democracy Paradox.A full transcript is available at www.democracyparadox.com.David Herszenhorn is the Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe editor at The Washington Post and was a correspondent for Politico Europe and The New York Times. He is the author The Dissident: Alexey Navalny: Profile of a Political Prisoner.Key HighlightsIntroduction - 0:44Navalny as a Political Figure - 3:13Navalny and the State - 21:26Navalny and Russian Repression - 34:41Politician or Dissident? 42:45Key LinksThe Dissident: Alexey Navalny: Profile of a Political Prisoner by David Herszenhorn"Alexey Navalny Never Wanted to Be a Dissident" in Politico by David Herszenhorn"For Putin foe Alexey Navalny, Ukraine has long been a volatile issue" in The Washington Post by David HerszenhornDemocracy Paradox PodcastOlga Onuch and Henry Hale Describe the Zelensky EffectMichael McFaul and Robert Person on Putin, Russia, and the War in UkraineMore Episodes from the PodcastMore InformationApes of the State created all MusicEmail the show at jkempf@democracyparadox.comFollow on Twitter @DemParadox, Facebook, Instagram @democracyparadoxpodcast100 Books on DemocracySupport the show
As a new poll shows that half the Irish public are unhappy with state's handling of the refugee crisis, Peter McVerry, Founder of the Peter McVerry Trust and Russia, Ukraine & East Europe editor at The Washington Post, David Herszenhorn joined Ciara to discuss.
As a new poll shows that half the Irish public are unhappy with state's handling of the refugee crisis, Peter McVerry, Founder of the Peter McVerry Trust and Russia, Ukraine & East Europe editor at The Washington Post, David Herszenhorn joined Ciara to discuss.
The US has joined Germany in sending tanks to Ukraine as President Biden hails a “united” effort But what does this mean for the war? To discuss Newstalk Breakfast spoke to David Herszenhorn, Russia, Ukraine & East Europe editor, The Washington Post and Sean Bell, Retired Air Vice-Marshal who served with the UK military and is current adviser with global defence consultants UDSS.
The US has joined Germany in sending tanks to Ukraine as President Biden hails a “united” effort But what does this mean for the war? To discuss Newstalk Breakfast spoke to David Herszenhorn, Russia, Ukraine & East Europe editor, The Washington Post and Sean Bell, Retired Air Vice-Marshal who served with the UK military and is current adviser with global defence consultants UDSS.
David Herszenhorn, Chief Brussels Correspondent with Politico Europe, discusses the reaction of NATO and the EU to Taliban rule in Afghanistan.
As the G7 summit gets underway in Cornwall, Jack Blanchard speaks to Tony Blair and a host of former senior government officials about what it's like to attend these surreal events — and whether they're really still relevant in the modern age.Blair reminisces about his first big summit — a Bill Clinton-hosted G8 in Colorado in 1997 — and the most memorable, the G8 in Gleneagles in 2005. Former diplomat Peter Ricketts explains the months of unseen work ahead of each summit, and how informal meetings in the margins can often be more important than the main event. Former Downing Street aides Kate Fall and Paul Harrison lift the lid on David Cameron and Theresa May's differing approaches to diplomacy, while POLITICO's own David Herszenhorn explains what it's like to attend a G7 summit as a lowly political hack. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
David Herszenhorn, Chief Brussels Correspondent with Politico, reports that the AstraZeneca contract is also expected to be published today, possibly with redactions.
Brexit talks go down to the wire, as the UK denies a claim by the EU that a deal is close; we hear from David Herszenhorn, the chief Brussels correspondent with Politico and Anna Jerzewska, the founder of Trade and Borders consultancy. A court in Ireland will decide if bankrupt Norwegian Air will be grounded permanently; we get analysis from Patrick Edmond, managing director of the aviation consultancy Altair. And 40 years after the death of John Lennon, Jude Southerland Kessler, author of the John Lennon Series, tells us why the ex-Beatle still influences the record industry.
We go inside one of the world's top gatherings of political leaders, military commanders, ambassadors and policy experts — the Munich Security Conference. POLITICO's team of reporters analyzes the big topics to emerge from the conference, including the state of transatlantic relations, deep divisions in the West over China, Emmanuel Macron's worldview and the future of the European Union. The show features interviews with senior German Green party MP Cem Özdemir, former U.S. ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns, North Macedonia's Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and European Commissioner Thierry Breton. POLITICO's EU Editor Andrew Gray guides you through the corridors and conference rooms of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof, with contributions from colleagues Stephen Brown, Laurens Cerulus, David Herszenhorn, Matthew Karnitschnig and Rym Momtaz.
This week's podcast comes from the EU summit in Brussels, where new European Council President Charles Michel claimed agreement on the Continent going climate-neutral by 2050 — but Poland has other ideas. POLITICO's climate reporter Paola Tamma, budget reporter Lili Bayer, chief Brussels correspondent David Herszenhorn and EU editor Andrew Gray break down the big issues behind the summit. They also look at the implications for the EU's ambitions to be the world's climate leader and for another pressing agenda item: the EU's budget. We hear from EU leaders including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. We also speak with EU Ministers Helen McEntee of Ireland and Tytti Tuppurainen of Finland. Away from the summit, POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig talks to new European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni about the importance of the Mediterranean region in a geopolitical Commission.
It wouldn't be a meeting of world leaders these days without a spat or two, and NATO's 70th anniversary celebration near London was no exception. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, David Herszenhorn and Emilio Casalicchio were on the spot to give us the inside scoop on the hot mic moments, the Trump-Macron slugfest and the future of the alliance. To understand more about the Macron mindset, our own Rym spoke on the phone with Gérard Araud, the outspoken former French ambassador to the United States. Araud retired this summer, giving him license to speak even more freely — about Macron, French "romanticism" over Russia, the Franco-German relationship and why it's easier for French diplomats to work with Brits than Germans.
The podcast crew debates the EU’s response — or lack thereof — to the wave of protests rocking Iran and Tehran's latest violation of the Iran nuclear deal. POLITICO's chief Brussels correspondent David Herszenhorn joins the panel to report that French President Emmanuel Macron's comments on NATO suffering from "brain death" are still ringing in leaders' ears. The big question, after a meeting of foreign ministers at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels this week, is: Can European countries agree on where they want the alliance to go from here? Our feature interview this week is with European Parliament Vice President Katarina Barley. The MEP opens up to POLITICO’s EU editor Andrew Gray about her unusual career move from a top job in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet to an MEP and vice president in the European Parliament. Barley, a Social Democrat and former justice minister, also explains why she voted with her Social Democrats against Ursula von der Leyen as the next president of the European Commission and why the EU needs to rethink how it protects the rule of law. We also take a deep dive into the Extinction Rebellion movement, which is using acts of civil disobedience to raise awareness and demand political action on climate change. POLITICO's Paola Tamma reports from a protest outside the royal palace in Brussels and discusses the group's tactics with protesters and climate experts.
Commission drama, impeachment battles, countries struggling to leave and join the EU, and fights over transparency in politics — they’re all here in our latest episode. France's Commission pick Sylvie Goulard is out. It’s a big blow to Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron, who proposed the former MEP to take on a beefed-up internal market portfolio. David Herszenhorn, POLITICO’s chief correspondent, and Andrew Gray, EU editor, look at the stories of score-settling and revenge that lie behind this drama. U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordan Sondland finds himself at the center of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump. Rym Momtaz, Matt Karnitschnig weigh in on the repercussions for the EU. Will Trump’s man in Brussels still have time to focus on the day job? And Matt gives his colorful take on Boris Johnson’s Brexit phone call with Angela Merkel and the prospect of Albania and North Macedonia joining the EU. Our feature interview is with German MEP Daniel Freund, of the Greens/European Free Alliance group. The activist-turned-politician spent the previous five years at NGO Transparency International, advocating for greater integrity and transparency in EU institutions. Now Freund faces the challenge of turning his ideas into reality inside the European Parliament. Next week it’s the European Council — yay! — and we’ll have a special edition on Friday next week, wrapping up the summit and taking you behind the scenes.
David Herszenhorn, chief Brussels correspondent for POLITICO Europe, discusses the details of the EU’s decision to extend the Brexit deadline. Freelance journalist Cindy Pom reports from the streets of London on this weekend’s anti-Brexit protests. Peter Kellner, former president of YouGov and visiting scholar at Carnegie Europe, comments on the broader implications of the political developments in Westminster and Brussels. Jim Pickard, chief political correspondent for the Financial Times, speaks about what might potentially happen next week when Prime Minister Theresa May puts the Brexit-deal vote to the House of Commons for the third time.
This week’s podcast focuses on the Munich Security Conference, one of the big events on the global political calendar. It features two interviews from POLITICO’s chief Europe correspondent Matt Karnitschnig, who sat down with Rick Grenell, the outspoken U.S. ambassador to Berlin, and Slovakia’s veteran Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák. Grenell and Lajčák provided their divergent impressions of the conference and transatlantic relations. They also addressed the palpably divisive issues of the Iran nuclear deal and the general tone emanating from Washington, among other topics. We also spoke with POLITICO’s chief Brussels correspondent David Herszenhorn, one of our reporters who covered the event, to get an insider’s impression of this year’s “tense” conference.
Our main guest is Bill Browder, once the largest foreign investor in Russia but now a fierce critic of Vladimir Putin. He’s the driving force behind the Magnitsky Act — legislation designed to impose severe financial and travel sanctions on human rights abusers. Browder tells our chief Brussels correspondent, David Herszenhorn, the story behind the act and how he’s trying to bring it into the EU. Also this week, the European People’s Party chose Manfred Weber as its lead candidate for the European Parliament election. But how much of a contest was it? Weber looked to have it wrapped up from the start. Our Brussels Brains Trust debates the best way to pick political candidates. We also chew over what the U.S. midterms mean for Europe — and how worried Europe should be about Russian interference in elections. With Ryan Heath getting married (again — same husband, different continent!), news editor Andrew Gray fills in as host.
This week, host Ryan Heath sits down with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO secretary-general and now adviser to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Rasmussen talks defense spending, Trump and how to handle Russia. And he reveals why we should spend our summer holiday in Denmark. David Herszenhorn, POLITICO's chief Brussels correspondent, brings us up to date with events in Ukraine and Russia. In our "EU WTF" section, our Brussels brains trust, Lina Aburous and Ailbhe Finn, discuss the case of Andreas Georgiou, the Greek statistician who has been convicted for telling the truth about the state of the Greek economy. And in our Dear Politico section, we hear from an NGO worker who says their organization is misusing EU funds and wants to know what to do.