Talk Eastern Europe

In this special episode, Talk Eastern Europe revisits the transcultural festival POSTWEST – which was scheduled to take place at the end of May 2020. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the festival – which sought to bring together artists from 10 countries of Central and Eastern Europe – was forced to deal with the new reality. The festival found a new way to take place online in a virtual setting and will now take place June 24-26 2020.During this first of two special podcast episodes dedicated to POSTWEST, Adam interviews Vlad Troitsky and Andriy Palatnyi of the DAKH Center for Contemporary Art based in Kyiv. They discuss the history of the center, how it dealt with the lockdown situation and what its involvement in POSTWEST will look like in the virtual setting. The DAKH Center is the producers of not only theatre, but artists and music groups as well, including the very popular Ukrainian group “DakhaBrakha”.Resources and Announcements- Talk Eastern Europe is pleased to announce that it is now a member of the EuroPod Network! Learn more here: https://www.bullemedia.eu/europod- POSTWEST \\ guess where - Transcultural festival: 24.–26.06.20 https://www.volksbuehne.berlin/en/programm/8735/festival-postwest- DAKH Center of Contemporary Art http://dakh.com.ua/en/- Dakhabrakha musical group: https://www.dakhabrakha.com.ua - Dakh Daughters: https://dakhdaughters.com - Nova Opera (with English subtitles): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AWFrzRNEBQ- Dog Cage (2015): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhAu2_2gQW4 - June 21, 24, 25, 26: Stay tuned for live events with Talk Eastern Europe during the POSTWEST Festival: streams will be available on Facebook (www.facebook.com/NewEasternEurope) and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeCLxAo-obBi8DReVJAmwZQ)SUPPORT US! Become a Patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

Our experience with the coronavirus demonstrates that pandemics know no borders. Nearly every country has been affected. The economic crisis that continues to take a toll on societies shows that more than ever solidarity and global solutions are needed for global problems. Will the COVID-19 pandemic force humanity to rethink the international system and global order? Can future crises be averted by better global coordination and a more robust system?In this episode we invite you to take part in an intellectual exercise where we try to imagine what the global order may look like post-COVID-19. The episode features an interview with Andreas Umland, a senior expert at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future in Kyiv. The interview is based on the article titled “The coronavirus crisis as a critical juncture for Ukraine and the world” which was published online via New Eastern Europe and co-authored with Pavlo Klimkin – the former Ukrainian foreign minister.Resources:“The coronavirus crisis as a critical juncture for Ukraine and the world”. By Andreas Umland and Pavlo Klimkin. New Eastern Europe 4 May 2020: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/05/04/the-coronavirus-crisis-as-a-critical-juncture-for-ukraine-and-the-world/“Grey zone politics: Why Ukraine needs creative international cooperation”. By Andreas Umland and Pavlo Klimkin. European Council on Foreign Relations. 16th April 2020. https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_grey_zone_politics_why_ukraine_needs_creative_international_coop“Ukrainian Institute for the Future”: https://uifuture.org/Support Talk Eastern Europe: Become a podcast Patron: www.patreon.com/TalkEasternEurope What do you think? Join the discussion on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/TalkEasternEurope Check out our recent online debate on Polish and German policy towards Belarus: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMUZ7SeP5b4 Music featured in the podcast licensed under the Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 International License: “Hallon” by Christian Bjoerklund: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Christian_Bjoerklund/Skapmat/christian_bjoerklund_-_skpmat_ep_-_01_-_hallon

This debate was live streamed on Facebook and YouTube and republished here as a podcast. This is the second debate organized in the framework of the project titled “Ost/Wschód: German-Polish Debates on the East”.Belarus plays a unique role in both countries’ policies towards the region and as a member of the Eastern Partnership is also a key state in EU foreign policy. Yet, the country’s extremely close ties with Russia make Belarus a unique case, decisively not interested in European integration and for many years considered “the last dictatorship of Europe”. However, recent developments have demonstrated a possible opening towards Europe as the regime is resisting integration with Russia, while the country’s response to COVID-19 was like no other country in Europe which may play a role in this year’s presidential election.Speakers:– Anna Maria Dyner, Analyst on Belarus, Polish Institute of International Affairs– Ingo Petz, German journalist, expert on BelarusThe debate was moderated by Adam Balcer, Program Director with the Jan Nowak-Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe (publisher of New Eastern Europe).The debate is co-organised by the Jan Nowak Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe and the Deutsch-Russischer Austausch e.V. (DRA) and sponsored by the Heinrich Boell Foundation’s Warsaw Office as well as the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation.

Information coming out of Chechnya is hard to come by. It is controlled by the tight grip of the Republic’s leader Ramzan Kadyrov. This episode attempts to get insight into what the response to COVID-19 looks like in the Russian Republic of Chechnya. Adam interviews Lana Estemirova, a freelance journalist covering Chechnya. They talk about issues related to the heavy-handed response to the virus. They discuss media clampdowns, protests by medical professionals and the ongoing human rights situation there. We need only THREE MORE PATRONS to reach our goal of 25 by the end of June. Become a Patron here: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneuropeJoin the Talk Eastern Europe Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/TalkEasternEuropeResources "Chechen leader threatens journalist Elena Milashina over COVID-19 reporting". Committee to Protect Journalists. 18 April 2020: https://cpj.org/2020/04/chechen-leader-threatens-journalist-elena-milashin/"Concern for Russian Journalist after Covid-19 Article about Chechnya." Netherlands Helsinki Committee. 29 April 2020: https://www.nhc.nl/concern-for-russian-journalist-after-covid-19-article-about-chechnya/Music Featured in the Podcast:Now We Feast by Alexander Nakarada. Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4768-now-we-feast License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

For the last several years China has viewed the region of Central and Eastern Europe as an opportunity to gain a foothold in the European Union and influence states between the East and the West. One country not often considered as one in China’s focus is Lithuania. In this episode Maciak interviews Konstantinas Andrijauskas, an Associate Professor of Asian Studies and International Politics at Vilnius University. They look at how China has focused on increasing its influence in the region and specifically its growing interest in Lithuania - economically and politically. They also discuss how the COVID-19 crisis now plays a role in relations with China in Europe and the West.Enjoy the podcast? Become a Patron. Support Talk Eastern Europe here: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope Join the podcast Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/talkeasterneuropeResourcesKonstantinas Andrijauskas: The Dragon and the Knight: China’s Growing Presence in Lithuania. Eastern Europe Studies Centre. http://www.eesc.lt/uploads/news/id1137/v07_Dragon-and-Knight_leidinys_A4.pdfEpisode 21: Russia-China relations in the spotlight https://www.spreaker.com/user/talkeasterneurope/episode21Music featured in the podcast under Creative Commons license 4.0 “Taste of China” by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/292-taste-of-chinaLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This debate took place live online an May 13 2020. The debate examines how Poland and Germany view the region of Eastern Europe. Both countries have a strong tradition in the region – either through Germany’s Ostpolitik or Poland’s Polityka Wschodnia.In this debate we address such questions as - What roles do history and geography play in Germany’s Ostpolitik and Poland’s Polityka Wschodnia? What are the commonalities to approaches of both countries? What are the differences? How does each country view the European Union’s position in the region? How do both states support the Eastern Partnership? What about relations with Russia and how did they change after the annexation of Crimea? What are recommendations for strengthening cooperation in this region?The debate features:Poland: Agnieszka Bryc - Assistant Professor at the Nicolaus Copernicus University in ToruńGermany: Wilfried Jilge - Associate Fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)Moderated by Adam Reichardt, editor of New Eastern EuropeThe debate is co-organised by the Jan Nowak Jeziorański College of Eastern Europe and the Deutsch-Russischer Austausch e.V. (DRA) and sponsored by the Heinrich Boell Foundation’s Warsaw Office as well as the Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation within the framework of the project titled “Ost/Wschód: German-Polish Debates on the East”.

It has been two years since Nikol Pashinyan has come to power after the Velvet Revolution in Armenia. In this episode Adam catches up with Richard Giragosian to discuss how much has changed in the country and how much has not. They also discuss relations with Russia with Russia under Pashinyan, which seem to be heading towards a deeper crisis. Adam and Richard also explore how Armenia has managed the COVID-19 situation and try to understand what role, if any, other players like the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union have played in assisting Armenia in the crisis. Lastly, they look at the shifts in regional relations including with Azerbaijan, Turkey and Iran as well as how the crisis has impacted the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.Become a Patron – we need only 3 more to reach our goal: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope Resources:Valentina Gevorgyan: “Armenia’s different legacy” New Eastern Europe. 6 March 2020: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/03/06/armenias-different-legacy/Follow New Eastern Europe’s ongoing coverage of the Coronavirus crisis in the Eastern Partnership: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/03/16/coronavirus-in-the-eastern-partnership-states/ Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/TalkEasternEurope An appeal to help New Eastern Europe – Purchase our latest issue! https://neweasterneurope.eu/an-appeal-to-help-new-eastern-europe-purchase-our-latest-issue/Music in the podcast "The Road Home" by Alexander Nakarada licensed under Creative Commons 4.0 Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/4769-the-road-home. License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Developments in relations between Romanian and Moldova have raised a lot eyebrows lately. After Moldova’s pro-European government has fallen to be replaced by a Kremlin-friendly one; along with an already pro-Russia president the question remains as to what role Romania plays in all this. In this episode, Maciek catches up with analyst Oktawian Milewski to discuss the historical ties between the two countries and current developments. They look at recent political developments; growing Russian influence in Moldova and what consequences the coronavirus crisis will have for the economies and relations.Become a Talk Eastern Europe Patron: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneuropeResources & Links:Episode 19: Strange Bedfellows in Moldova: https://www.spreaker.com/user/talkeasterneurope/tee-ep-19-finalMoldova: A Russian credit or a Russian roulette? https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/05/05/moldova-a-russian-credit-or-a-russian-roulette/An appeal to help New Eastern Europe – Purchase our latest issue! https://neweasterneurope.eu/an-appeal-to-help-new-eastern-europe-purchase-our-latest-issue/Online Debate - May 13th 2020 - Debate: What are Polish / German views on the East? https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/05/08/debate-what-are-polish-german-views-on-the-east/Music featured in the Podcast Licensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Imagefilm 017 by Sascha Ende Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/314-imagefilm-017

On April 20th 2020, New Eastern Europe convened an online live discussion which examined the latest issue of New Eastern Europe and brought some of its authors together to highlight the key issues surrounding the war in Donbas in Eastern Ukraine, which are even further exacerbated by the outbreak of COVID19. We are publishing the audio of the discussion here.The discussion featured:Adam Reichardt, New Eastern Europe/Talk Eastern EuropeRebecca Harms, a former MEP with the Alliance ’90/The GreensHanna Shelest, Editor-in-Chief of Ukraine AnalyticaTim Bohse, Deutsch-Russischer AustauschIgor Mitchnik, Drukarnia – Civil Society Center SlovianskGet your copy of this issue here: https://neweasterneurope.eu/product/issue-3-2020/Music featured in the podcast: Funk Interlude by Dysfunction_AL (c) copyright 2016 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/destinazione_altrove/53756 Ft: Fourstones - Scomber ( Bonus Track )

This episode takes a look at the current state of the Eastern Partnership and discusses a new report that outlines possible scenarios for future developments in the region. Adam and Maciek start with a recap of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership programme. Adam then interview Quincy Cloet, Managing Editor of Visegrad Insight and a researcher with the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights. They dissect the latest report by Visegrad Insight titled: Eastern European Futures. Four scenarios for the Eastern Partnership 2030. The newest issue of New Eastern Europe is out! Get your copy here and support our publication: https://neweasterneurope.eu/product/issue-3-2020/Join us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/TalkEasternEuropeResources:Check out our special coverage: Coronavirus in the Eastern Partnership states: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/03/16/coronavirus-in-the-eastern-partnership-states/Visegrad Insight: Eastern European Futures. Four scenarios for the Eastern Partnership 2030. https://visegradinsight.eu/eap2030/eastern-europe-four-scenarios/“From Association to Integration. A Chance to Advance a Novel Agenda for the Eastern Partnership. By: Adam Reichardt. Visegrad Insight 1 April 2020. https://visegradinsight.eu/from-association-to-integration-eastern-partnership/“Borders might be closed, but our policies need to be open” New Eastern Europe 1 April 2020 https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/04/01/borders-might-be-closed-but-our-policies-need-to-be-open/“The Eastern Partnership should now focus on greater integration”. A conversation with Petras Auštrevičius, member of the European Parliament from Lithuania. New Eastern Europe 16 March 2020: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2020/03/16/the-eastern-partnership-should-now-focus-on-greater-integration/Please support the podcast. Become a Patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope Music featured in the PodcastLicensed under the Creative Commons license 3.0/4.0:Intro/outro: “Indie Rock” by Scott Holmes: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Scott_Holmes/Road_Trip_Indie_Rock/Indie_Rock_1327 “Boston Landing” by Blue Dot Sessions: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Skittle/Boston_Landing