Russia

We are slowly but surely approaching the mark of a year and a half since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During this time the necessity to track direct and indirect damage caused by it has become both a priority and an enormous challenge for numerous Ukrainian and international organizations. One thing is already clear - we will be doing the math long after the war is over.

Throughout recent days, public discourse in Poland has been dominated by multiple instances of violations of the Polish airspace. Balloons crossing the Polish-Belarussian border, drones disturbing passenger planes approaching their airports and a Russian missile, discovered in a forest 250 kilometers from the nearest frontier are just few examples of what appeared in the latest news.

It is no surprise that the annual address of President Vladimir Putin to the Russian people featured a call for self-sufficiency, the closing of the national economy, and catering to all needs only with internal resources. Even though the statements of foreign leaders are not directly linked to the Bulgarian context, such ideas can find their ground at home too, especially in the context of election campaigns.

In this episode, we talk about controversies sparked by President Emmanuel Macron with his comments on China, Taiwan, and the United States, about French position on China and transatlantic relations, and about the future of strategic autonomy and different perspectives within the EU.

Accepting Russia\'s presidency of the UN Security Council is the worst thing the international community can do. This situation should be treated as an opportunity to start a serious discussion on the reform of this institution, which apparently no longer fulfills its role. To put it bluntly, it\'s time to kick Russia out of the UN Security Council.

On March 9, the Georgian parliament revoked a draft of a bill on Foreign Influence Agents supported by its majority. The purpose of the bill was to oblige any media or civil society organization to register as a foreign agent if they use foreign money.

While work on Estonia\'s newly drafted National Security Concept began before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (Reform) says that the changed security situation has made its adoption all the more pressing.

Everyone should understand the meaning of the word \"cost\". You can try avoiding expenses, but costs will still come, one day. What is happening in Georgia now is very much about neglecting the meaning of the word \"cost\" by politicians, mainly in the West. However, costs cannot disappear through wishful thinking. Current decision makers may try to hide from them, but they may return at a higher rate.

In this episode, we talk about experiencing the first days of the Russian invasion in Ukraine as a journalist, changing social moods, resilience of the Ukrainian fighters, possible scenarios for the end of the war, and about why it is crucial for the West to support the Ukrainian cause.

Russia. The word still evokes images of conspiracy behind gray concrete blocks, while a strong military marches through the streets in a tour de force of the iron hand that rules the harsh country. The Kremlin was working hard to ensure that this stereotype, of influential and ruthless Soviet toughness, is exaggerated. Disinformation, ostentatious secret service operations and bellicose rhetoric all served this illusion.