Just days into his country's rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán again stunned other European leaders by setting off on a series of visits to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing, styling himself as a peace negotiator with a mandate from Brussels.
Host Sarah Wheaton and POLITICO's chief EU correspondent Barbara M ... Show More
Aug 22
EU's sweaty summer — what you missed (and what matters)
Just when we thought we could get a break for the summer, geopolitics had other plans. This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO colleagues Jordyn Dahl, Gabriel Gavin and Jan Cienski for a catch-up on what moved while the bubble was at the beach. From ... Show More
33m 18s
Aug 1
Escape the EU Bubble: Expert Summer Book Picks
This week, we’re taking a breath. EU Confidential is stepping away from summits, trade battles, and late-night trilogues — and turning to something more refreshing: books. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by audio producer (and self-confessed book nerd) Dionisios Sturis for this spec ... Show More
35m 28s
Aug 2024
East meets West in Ankara: Inside the prisoner swap with Russia
The prisoner exchange between the West and Russia last week was the largest swap since the end of the cold war. At Turkey’s Ankara airport, Russia and Belarus released 16 detainees, while the United States, Poland, Germany, Slovenia, and Norway released 8.
In this week’s Europe i ... Show More
30m 34s
Apr 2014
The differing responses to the Ukraine crisis
This week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in Washington for talks with President Barack Obama, and Ukraine will top the agenda. Washington has led the way on sanctions, imposing asset freezes and travel bans on dozens of senior Russians and scores of companies, in an attempt ... Show More
9m 48s
Feb 2025
Vatever you vant, Vladimir
Kremlin defender Tulsi Gabbard is the US’s new spy chief, while the US and Russia are holding peace talks without European and Ukrainian officials at the table. The vibe has officially shifted.This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by La ... Show More
28m 14s
Jul 2024
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb on NATO, Europe’s Security and its Relations with the Rest of the World
In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Finnish President and former Crisis Group trustee Alexander Stubb to talk about next week’s NATO summit, European security and the war in Ukraine. They assess Finland’s role as one of NATO’s newest members, Europe’s defence ... Show More
47m 5s
Dec 2024
Forging peace: Europe’s role in Ukraine’s future
As Donald Trump’s return to the presidency looms, European leaders are intensifying their diplomatic efforts. Emmanuel Macron has met with Donald Tusk to discuss European troop deployments, while a high-stakes meeting in Brussels with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, NATO ... Show More
36m 57s