logo
episode-header-image
Aug 14
23m 28s

Frozen conflict? A special episode in th...

The Economist
About this episode

In Norway’s north, a geopolitical quirk may yet transform into a geopolitical conflict. We visit Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago that contains a Russian company town complete with a bust of Lenin. Ahead of the high-stakes, high-north summit in Alaska, our correspondents lay out why—perhaps even more than the Baltic states—the Arctic might be the flashpoint for Russia’s next bout of expansionism.


Get a world of insights by subscribing to Economist Podcasts+. For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
Liberté, égalité, désordre: chaos in France
France’s newly-appointed prime minister has resigned only weeks into the job. Now President Emmanual Macron has given him 48 hours to come up with a plan for next year’s budget. Can Macron survive the turmoil? As driverless taxis take over San Francisco, what will happen to the h ... Show More
21m 3s
Oct 7
Man of steel, and aluminium: Carney talks trade with Trump
The swiftest way for Prime Minister Mark Carney to ease pressure on Canada’s economy is to convince President Donald Trump today to pare back tariffs. But he has far broader plans afoot, too. A heady online mix of e-commerce and entertainment is creating a new generation of shopp ... Show More
21m 58s
Oct 6
One peace at a time: hopeful Gaza talks
As negotiators gather in Egypt, appetite for a short-term peace seems high on all sides. But there is much ambiguity surrounding a lasting accord. In New York, renters fear being evicted far less than they once did—but pity flat-hunters. And remembering Kim Seong Min, a North Kor ... Show More
22m 54s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 14
Frozen conflict? A special episode in the Arctic
In Norway’s north, a geopolitical quirk may yet transform into a geopolitical conflict. We visit Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago that contains a Russian company town complete with a bust of Lenin. Ahead of the high-stakes, high-north summit in Alaska, our correspondents lay out w ... Show More
23m 28s
Aug 2024
Block busters: how Russia flouts sanctions
Since the invasion of Ukraine, the West has deployed massive economic restrictions on Russian trade. So why is Russia’s economy growing? A survivor’s story from the forgotten conflict in Sudan (10:47). And Turkey tries to rid its streets of stray dogs (17:56). Listen to what matt ... Show More
23m 37s
Oct 2
Space invaders: Russia’s NATO nose-thumbing
Russia’s dark-fleet maritime operations and brazen incursions into NATO airspace appear to be precision-engineered to test Western resolve. We ask how this new phase of aggression may end. Our correspondent reports from Madagascar, where young people are leading unprecedented ant ... Show More
24m 45s
Apr 2023
Russia and the Arctic Conundrum
Arctic geopolitics are characterized by features that set the region apart from others. Eveything from governance structures to the way Arctic states engage with one another to the way they tackle shared challenges and address disputes—these all look different in the Arctic than ... Show More
45m 53s
Mar 2025
One week in the life of Volodymyr Zelensky
After a turbulent seven days, how will President Volodymyr Zelensky tackle the domestic and international challenges ahead? Our correspondent attends “Ode to Resilience”, a concert of defiance in Ukraine (9:55). And how “The Economist” reported on the Allies’ advance across Europ ... Show More
22m 59s
Feb 2025
Things Are Heating Up in the Arctic: Why Trump Wants to Get Greenland
President Trump has repeatedly said he wants to buy Greenland for economic and national security reasons. WSJ reporter Max Colchester tells us how realistic that goal is and how citizens of that self-ruling part of Denmark feel about it. And WSJ reporter Thomas Grove explains the ... Show More
14m 14s
Mar 2025
Greenland
In this special episode of the Reuters World News podcast, we visit Greenland – the Arctic island that usually flies under the radar. But since U.S. President Donald Trump recently revived his desire to buy, or take, the autonomous Danish territory, Greenland is taking center sta ... Show More
23m 13s
Sep 2024
Beyond the bullets: we go to Ukraine
We take a look at the grim conditions in and prospects for the frontlines in the country’s east and north. But not all of the fighting is military in nature. We examine a far wider cultural revival going on (10:59), in music and fashion and long-forgotten ingredients and methods ... Show More
27m 30s
Mar 2025
Conversation peace: can Europe bargain with Russia?
European leaders met in London this weekend after Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky’s public row shattered hopes for a US-led truce in Ukraine. What did the summit achieve? Our correspondent visits Mexico’s border to find out if strengthened force will stem the flow of fentanyl ... Show More
24m 45s
Mar 2025
Buck off: US pauses Ukraine aid
In an effort to bring Ukraine to the negotiating table, America has paused military help to the war-torn country. What will this mean on the ground? Our correspondent explores a new cryptocurrency craze, visiting Turkey’s bazaars to meet people trading goods using stablecoins (9: ... Show More
22m 36s