Yesterday

What Orbán’s ouster means for MAGA, Le Pen and Brussels

Election night in Hungary was an emotional and teary one ... but now, the work begins. The winners — Peter Magyar’s Tisza party — have the daunting task of reversing years of democratic backsliding that went on under Viktor Orbán’s watch. Meanwhile, Fidesz — and far-right parties ... Show More

38m 16s

Apr 16

Can an ex-fighter-jet pilot run Bulgaria?

Viktor Orbán may be out — but his man in Brussels is not. Today on the pod, Ian and Sarah discuss how the Hungarian Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi is expected to stay on in the Berlaymont after his Fidesz party's landslide election loss back home. They explain why neither the Commi ... Show More

14m 33s

Apr 15

The rise of the centrist dads

European ambassadors are gathering to prep for a leaders’ summit taking place in Cyprus next week. And yet again, the agenda will likely be dominated by geopolitical crises. Ian Wishart and guest co-host Ryan Heath explain how topics like the budget, enlargement and competitivene ... Show More

15m 35s

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

Putin’s Wildest Dreams Come True

Tommy and Ben discuss the seismic shift in US foreign policy that happened this past week after Trump announced that the US and Russia would directly negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine through talks that exclude Ukraine and Europe. They also explain how JD Vance’s first forei ... Show More

1h 35m

Mar 2025

Ep104. Trump and Putin - the Bromance reignited: with Sir Bill Browder

When it comes to Russia, Trump’s America appears on the verge of a major foreign policy U-turn. A couple of weeks ago, Trump called Zelenskyy a dictator and lyingly claimed that Ukraine had started the war. Then there was the February 28 ‘Oval Office Ambush’ heard round the world ... Show More

52m 41s

Aug 2025

Trump tries for a Ukraine peace deal

UK employers cut back hiring over labour and tax cost fears, and Ukraine and its European allies worry about US President Donald Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Plus, HSBC is weighed down by woes in the Hong Kong commercial property market, and India’s huge ... Show More

10m 45s

Mar 2022

Oligarchs, Putin and Russian power

Russia’s elite class of billionaire oligarchs have become major targets for Western sanctions over the war on Ukraine. Last week, Canada announced it was freezing assets and banning business from Russian figures including Roman Abramovich, who has been ordered to sell his Chelsea ... Show More

23m 27s

Mar 2025

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže

In what would mark a small but significant diplomatic breakthrough, the White House says Ukraine and Russia have agreed to stop using military force in the Black Sea. But, Russia says that will only go into effect once sanctions are lifted on its financial institutions. As Ukrain ... Show More

56m 4s

Sep 2025

Putin's Nuclear Ambitions, Ukraine Tensions, and Russia's Future

Vladimir Putin BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.Vladimir Putin has been at the center of several high-profile events this past week, both on the world stage and domestically. Just days ago, he officially opened the World Atomic Week 2025 in Moscow, hosting dignitaries and indus ... Show More

3m 51s

Inside Magyar’s grand bargain with the E...