Best Reconsidering Russia Podcasts (2025)

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Emerging trends in American engagement in the Arctic and Antarctic under Trump 2.0 32:23

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14d ago32:23

32:23

Greenland has for good reason gotten most of the attention, but what other emerging trends can be seen in US interest and activities towards the Arctic and Antarctic during the current Trump administration? On this episode, Evan Bloom, a former senior diplomat who for over two decades helped shape American polar policies at the State Department, di…

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America in the Arctic: the evolution of U.S Arctic engagement in an era of strategic competition and climate change 1:05:37

2M ago1:05:37

1:05:37

The United States, due in large part to Donald Trump’s renewed ambition to acquire Greenland, has this year dominated discussions on Arctic geopolitics. A timely new book, America in the Arctic: Foreign Policy and Competition in the Melting North (Columbia University Press 2025), analyses the long-term evolution of U.S. Arctic engagement across an …

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ATCM 47 underwhelms: Alan Hemmings on the dismal state of Antarctic governance and changing geopolitical dynamics within the ATS 1:16:54

2M ago1:16:54

1:16:54

In the wake of the recent 47th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Milan, Alan Hemmings, Adjunct Professor at Gateway Antarctica at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch and veteran of many a ATCM, joins the podcast to provide a comprehensive, somewhat sobering, analysis of the current state of Antarctic governance, and the changing geo…

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Africa's unique ideological history and its impact on unity 28:13

4M ago28:13

28:13

In our latest episode we speak with the author and academic Frank Gerits, whose most recent work explores the history of the intense ideological battle which took place in the 1950s and 1960s for African hearts and minds. His book, The Ideological Scramble for Africa, explores how this competition wasn't just between Cold War superpowers, but among…

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Crisis diplomacy, Kingdom of Denmark chairship of the Arctic Council, and the evolution of Greenlandic foreign policy 39:34

4M ago39:34

39:34

Two major international crises of recent years, Covid-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have had profound effects on Arctic governance. American interest in acquiring Greenland has meanwhile complicated relations between key Arctic countries. With Greenland now leading the newly-launched Kingdom of Denmark chairship of the Arctic Council at a…

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How race and identity became sacred taboos 31:59

6M ago31:59

31:59

Following an early Spring hiatus, we're pleased to bring the Departures podcast back with a very special guest, the Canadian author and Adjunct Fellow at the Manhattan Institute Eric Kaufmann. Eric joins Robert Amsterdam to discuss his interesting new book "Taboo: How Making Race Sacred Produced a Cultural Revolution." Kaufmann argues that the anti…

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Greenland, geopolitics and Danish diplomacy with Jeppe Kofod, former Foreign Minister of Denmark 38:55

6M ago38:55

38:55

Jeppe Kofod, Denmark’s foreign minister during Trump’s first Greenland gambit, joins the podcast to analyze the current situation and share insights from his central role in resolving the previous U.S.-Denmark-Greenland crisis in 2019. Polar Geopolitics has now started a Substack where we will provide edited episode transcripts, original articles a…

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Future of the Artic Council in the context of global governance, scientific cooperation and observer state participation 46:00

7M ago46:00

46:00

In this third part of the “Future of the Arctic Council” session recorded live at Arctic Frontiers, Dr. Volker Rachold and Dr. Elana Wilson Rowe discuss the continued importance, despite recent shocks to the international system, of Arctic cooperation in the context of global governance. Topics include the imperative of managing environmental probl…

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Future of the Arctic Council: Nuuk, Copenhagen and the upcoming Kingdom of Denmark chairship with Greenland in the lead 47:57

7M ago47:57

47:57

In May, the Kingdom of Denmark takes over from Norway chairship of an Arctic Council that continues to face an array of significant challenges in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other geopolitical developments. At the same time, there has also been uncertainty on whether the center of gravity of the Kingdom’s chairship will be in Copen…

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Future of the Arctic Council: Science diplomacy, Arctic exceptionalism and innovative governance in a time of geopolitical turbulence 48:45

7M ago48:45

48:45

Two Arctic Council insiders discuss the unique qualities and key role the Council continues to play even after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cast it into crisis three years ago. Jennifer Spence, Director of the Arctic Initiative at Harvard’s Belfer Center, and Rolf Rødven, Executive Secretary of the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program, sat down…

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A discussion on religious freedom with Robert Destro 29:12

7M ago29:12

29:12

Issues of religious freedom, in theory, should not be controversial or disputed - there is a general consensus among public opinion that all peoples should have the right to worship according to their beliefs. And yet, it seems that we are going backwards on this basic right, with governments and political parties all around the world seeking to we…

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Global gaze on Greenland: Analyzing upcoming elections, security situation and relations with the United States, Denmark, China and the E.U. 1:11:28

7M ago1:11:28

1:11:28

In the midst of intense international interest in Greenland, general elections have been called for March 11th, with potential geopolitical implications across a range of issues, including independence from the Kingdom of Denmark. To explain the stakes and dynamics of the upcoming election, and analyze regional security in the context of U.S. inter…

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Identities, Rivalries, and Schisms in the modern Middle East 24:50

8M ago24:50

24:50

The Muslim world, despite its sprawling and complex history, is largely understood by outsiders to fall within the Shia or Sunni category, or among the conflict between. This is not just misleading, but also obscures a much more fascinating and colorful human history of the Middle East which continues to shape events today. In this episode of Depar…

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Greenland’s Future in the Face of Trump’s Advances: Crisis in the Kingdom of Denmark 33:29

8M ago33:29

33:29

Independence or an American acquisition of Greenland would fracture the Kingdom of Denmark as currently constituted. On this episode, associate professor Jon Rahbek-Clemmensen, research director at the Center for Arctic Security Studies at the Royal Danish Defence College, explains how and why Copenhagen intends to keep the Kingdom intact, while al…

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Greenland gambit 2.0: Arctic Geopolitics and Donald Trump’s Geographical Imagination, with Prof. Klaus Dodds 43:51

8M ago43:51

43:51

An in-depth discussion with Klaus Dodds, professor of Geopolitics at Royal Holloway University of London, on Donald Trump’s latest Greenland gambit and how the incoming US president’s geographical imagination might shape Arctic geopolitics and the liberal international order in an era of great power competition. Polar Geopolitics on Twitter / X: @p…

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Why Sanctions Often Backfire 24:20

9M ago24:20

24:20

The imposition of economic sanctions has become Washington's preferred method of expressing disapproval over the conduct of other states. But how effective are sanctions in changing behavior or achieving desired outcomes? This week on Departures with Robert Amsterdam, we are pleased to feature the brilliant former diplomat Vali Nasr, the Majid Khad…

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Arctic security, seabed warfare, Russia-China relations and U.S. engagement under Trump: Mathieu Boulègue on the events, issues and upheavals shaping geopolitics for 2025 1:08:06

9M ago1:08:06

1:08:06

Arctic security, critical undersea infrastructure and Russian strategic calculations are in focus as Mathieu Boulègue joins the podcast to analyze the wider geopolitical consequences of recent events and upheavals in Ukraine, Syria, the Baltic Sea and beyond. Consulting Fellow with the Russia and Eurasia Programme at Chatham House, Boulègue discuss…

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Our relationship with the past is in big trouble 27:12

10M ago27:12

27:12

There's an old Soviet joke that goes something like "the future is certain; it's the past that is unpredictable" which continues to have an eerie resonance today, as revisionism seems to be on a constant assault against past events which are challenging or complex for some people to accept based on modern social mores and values. In his new book, "…

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The ignominious track record of Africa's foreign saviors 31:17

10M ago31:17

31:17

Throughtout the post-colonial period in Africa, there has been no shortage of economists, non-governmental organizations, diplomats, and aid organizations flying in from the United States and Western Europe with an astonishing array of prescriptions and reform plans to dramatically transform the economies and governance structures of these young na…

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Reconsidering the Western Response to China's Global Rise 29:07

10M ago29:07

29:07

A popular meme in Kenya goes something like this: everytime China visits, we get a hospital. When the US visits, we get a lecture. That's of course not an accurate picture of the competition between the West and China in the global South, but it does highlight a certain disconnect that can be perceived widely among many in these regions which have …

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Kant, Borges, Heisenberg and the Nature of Observation and Knowledge 28:51

10M ago28:51

28:51

What does it mean to perceive reality? How do art, science, and philosophy converge in shaping our understanding of the world? In this episode of Departures with Robert Amsterdam, we sit down with William Egginton, acclaimed author and professor, to dive into his latest book, "The Rigor of Angels: Borges, Heisenberg, Kant, and the Ultimate Nature o…

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Cracks in Consensus: Krill, marine conservation and the consequences of CCMALR 43 failures for Antarctic governance and geopolitics 42:57

10M ago42:57

42:57

Many observers considered the 43rd annual CCAMLR meeting in Hobart a major disappointment due to the failure to renew important protections on krill fisheries and the continued lack of progress on marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. Some are even concerned that the breakdown in consensus, centered on China and Russia ref…

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How the Ukraine war has altered the direction of globalization 29:14

11M ago29:14

29:14

As this coming February will mark the third anniversary of Russia's invasion and occupation of Eastern Ukraine, there is already a clear and tangible impact upon the geopolitical challenges faced by the United States and her allies in Europe in terms of their roles in the international system. This week Departures with Robert Amsterdam is pleased t…

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A pivotal election brings uncertainty to Japan 26:59

11M ago26:59

26:59

In a week in which most eyes are on the US election, there are other meaningful elections which also merit close examination. On October 27 Japanese voters expressed their pent-up frustration with the growing list of scandals associated with the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and ended the party's near 70-year long rule. LDP and their partne…

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Fears, miscalculations, and mistakes which led to the war in Ukraine 27:00

11M ago27:00

27:00

As the war in Ukraine grinds into yet another brutal winter, narratives are shifting in Western capitals regarding the nature of the conflict, its goals, and the longer term meaning of the war in terms of the balance of power on the European continent. Looking back to the war's origins, it is important not only to examine the build-up of Russia's a…

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The great rebalancing of the West 26:55

11M ago26:55

26:55

Perhaps one of the most meaningful facts that illustrates the sweeping changes taking place in global affairs is the following: In 1950, nearly one in three people in the world lived in a Western country. By 2050, that number will dwindle to one in ten, bringing with it a wide variety of recalculations by companies, culture, influence, and politics…

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How the Congolese view their relationship to the global big tech supply chain 27:43

12M ago27:43

27:43

The modern world's bottomless demand for precious metals originating in the mines of the Democratic Republic of Congo is covered daily in the news, from the supply chains underpinning the most common consumer electronics in our pockets to the most critical national security and future energy questions. But rarely are these extractive industries und…

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Carrots, sticks and the near-Arctic state narrative: China’s influence strategies in the Arctic 41:26

12M ago41:26

41:26

How does China exert influence in the Arctic, and has it already peaked? A new in-depth report published by the Wilson Center analyzes Chinese information and influence operations in each of the eight Arctic Council member states. The report’s co-author Adam Lajeunesse, associate professor at St. Francis Xavier University, joins the podcast to expl…

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Analyzing ATCM 46: Current issues and dynamics in the governance and geopolitics of Antarctica 41:56

1y ago41:56

41:56

From geopolitical posturing surrounding the status of Belarus and Canada inside the Antarctic Treaty, to diverging views on science, environmental protection and the regulation of tourism, the 46thAntarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Kochi, India provided, in an era of great power competition and new constellations within the international syst…

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Arctic nation, or not? The Geopolitics of Arctic state identity 39:54

1y ago39:54

39:54

The eight member states of the Arctic Council each draw upon geography, history and other factors to promote their identity as an Arctic nation, while non-Arctic states seeking influence in the region use different—although sometimes similar—arguments to foster an image of being an Arctic stakeholder or, as in one prominent example, a “near-Arctic …

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Spotlight on Svalbard: Realities and myths in a microcosm of Arctic geopolitics 1:32:52

1y ago1:32:52

1:32:52

Although a unique set of circumstances characterize Svalbard, belonging to Norway under a 1920 treaty, the situation there reflects many of the major trends—and faultlines—in Arctic geopolitics. From science diplomacy and security to geoeconomics and great power competition, the High Arctic archipelago, where both Norway and Russia maintain permane…

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Russia's burning ambition for global power 27:45

1y ago27:45

27:45

Following the end of World War II, Josef Stalin and Russia's leadership had a certain vision of the postwar order, one which ended up being quite different from reality. They had expected to maintain control over the whole of Europe, and have these gains of war legitimized and recognized by the United States - with specific emphasis on the carve up…

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The beginning of the end of the old Ottoman world order 28:33

1+ y ago28:33

28:33

In the early 19th century, the Ottoman empire was facing rebellion, decline, and increasing competition for influence with Europe. The leadership in Istanbul implemented desperate plans to preserve the empire through modernizing reforms, known as Tanzimat, which among other measures declared Muslims, Christians, and Jews to be equal under the law. …

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Mobilizing Arctic expertise: Seven scientific themes for Arctic Frontiers 2025 33:44

1+ y ago33:44

33:44

Science and expert knowledge are pivotal for meeting many of the environmental challenges, economic opportunities and geopolitical imperatives of the contemporary Arctic. The Arctic Frontiers conference reflects this fact through its selection of seven scientific themes that serve as pillars for the annual event held every January in Tromsø, Norway…

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Ukraine and its challenges to the international system 30:14

1+ y ago30:14

30:14

There is a certain trend of narratives regarding the Russia's invasion of Ukraine that are understood as gospel in the West. And when analysts or academics stray outside those narrative lines, they are targeted with intolerance and all sorts of unfounded accusations. The fact is that we don't seem to be able capable of a wide range of debate of eve…

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When nothing is important, everything is at risk 28:52

1+ y ago28:52

28:52

The tremendous velocity with which modernity and technology has encroached on our social lives is underappreciated, shaping our understanding not only of critical events but also ourselves, as the world is flattened. A teenager in France or Brazil may see violent footage of the Ukraine war fed to them on TikTok, only to be replaced a moment later w…

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Antarctic science or polar oil exploration? Prof. Klaus Dodds on Russia’s grey zone activities in the Weddell Sea 40:59

1+ y ago40:59

40:59

Reports of Russia’s discovery of huge oil reserves in Antarctic waters has caused concern in some quarters over (frozen) territorial claims and the future of the Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty, which permanently bans mining in and around the continent. Prof. Klaus Dodds, whose recent testimony for a UK parliamentary in…

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A Bold New Era for Japan 28:26

1+ y ago28:26

28:26

On this week's episode of Departures with Robert Amsterdam we're pleased to invite our friend and colleague of many years Jakob Edberg, the co-founder of The GR Company, a government relations consultancy headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and with offices in Osaka, Seoul, London, and Washington DC. Jakob's unique perspective on the rapidly evolving le…

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The devastating human toll of Russia's war in Ukraine 31:28

1+ y ago31:28

31:28

Among the slew of books that have come out recently on the war in Ukraine, there are few which take as broad a scope of the human experience of the soldiers, victims, and communities living on the front than the latest entry written by the war correspondent Christopher Miller. In his book, "The War Came To Us: Life and Death in Ukraine," Miller bea…

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Vienna and the birth of the knowledge economy 26:58

1+ y ago26:58

26:58

From the late-nineteenth century until the mid-1930s, Vienna was Europe's undisputed powerhouse of ideas. But along with the exhilirating achievements of Freud, Wittgenstein, Mahler, and Klimt, there were also darker forces emerging in parallel which have had their own negative impact on modernity, from organized anti-Semitism to ethnonationalism i…

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How the Ukrainian Left Views the War 31:42

1+ y ago31:42

31:42

The tremendous velocity of history that Ukraine has experienced since independence to the Maidan revolution to the catastrophic war brought on by Russia's aggression often tends to be sold and told in neatly packaged narratives to the West - a heroic tale of a plucky democracy breaking from from the yoke of an authoritarian past. But the reality, a…

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Securitization dynamics: Greenland’s pivotal place in the Arctic security configuration 1:26:27

1+ y ago1:26:27

1:26:27

“Greenland is the most dynamic piece in the new Arctic security jigsaw puzzle”, according to a new book that applies the international relations theory of securitization to analyze the security and geopolitics of Greenland and the Arctic. Marc Jacobsen, Ole Wæver and Ulrik Pram Gad, co-editors and authors of Greenland in Arctic Security: (De)securi…

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The Future of Taiwan's Silicon Shield 28:13

1+ y ago28:13

28:13

It was just three years ago when the Economist magazine ran a cover story on Taiwan, describing it as "the most dangerous place in the world." With intensifying competition with China and deteriorating global security following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, there are many arguments that continue to support that negative outlook. But that's not the …

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From the Barents Sea to the Bering Strait: Arctic geopolitics at the regional and local levels 40:24

1+ y ago40:24

40:24

In this episode of the Polar Geopolitics podcast, recorded live at the 2024 Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway, host Eric Paglia interviews Andreas Østhagen of the Fridtjof Nansen Institute and Kelsey Frazier from the Ted Stevens Center for Arctic Security Studies. The discussion ranges from global trends affecting the geopolitical posit…

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Northern Flank: Arctic-Baltic security interconnections since the NATO accession of Sweden and Finland 1:04:34

1+ y ago1:04:34

1:04:34

To analyze the transformed security environment in Northern Europe since the NATO accession of Sweden and Finland, this episode features an interview with Minna Ålander, research fellow at the Finish Institute of International Affairs in Helsinki. The in-depth discussion, at time when the Nordic countries have been engaged with their NATO partners …

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Understanding the Ukraine War through the Lens of Greek Tragedy 30:22

1+ y ago30:22

30:22

As the war in Ukraine rages on into its second year, there remains little consensus or understanding of how the conflict could be resolved outside of military outcomes, and a persisting misunderstanding on behalf of the West regarding Ukraine's own internal preexisting social divisions. This week we're pleased to have a special guest, Dr. Nicolai P…

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You can't understand the Soviet system without understanding the daily lives of its people 36:06

1+ y ago36:06

36:06

From the Russian Revolution of 1917 to the chaotic disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991, there is a dazzling and disorienting array of histories. While many books detail the lives and politics of Soviet leaders, Karl Schlögel invites us to better understand the experience of the country through the lives lived by more common Russians, from th…

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Ian Bremmer on Antarctica and the geopolitics of the polar regions 23:20

1+ y ago23:20

23:20

Dr. Ian Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, joins the podcast to discuss Antarctica and the short- and long-term impacts of climate change and the emerging green transition on the geopolitics of the polar regions. Dr. Bremmer, who recently returned from a trip to Antarctica, also explains how the six-decade success stor…

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The enduring legacy of the Great Arab Revolt 31:23

1+ y ago31:23

31:23

There is a strong argument to be made that the root of Palestinian identity can be traced back to the 1936-1939 Great Revolt, which united rival families and communities, melded urban with rural, and joined rich and poor together in a struggle against Zionism and the British Empire. This is the starting point in Oren Kessler's exquisitely detailed …

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When China gave up on its peaceful rise 28:08

1+ y ago28:08

28:08

Formulated by PRC think tanks in the mid-1990s, China's official slogan of the "peaceful rise" sought to calm Western fears regarding its blossoming economic, military, and political power as the nation resumed an outsized role in global affairs. However the mood did not last long, as in the later years of President Hu Jintao's administration, poli…