The Eastern European Transatlantic Network

As the world turns to the Arctic as a region of increased securitization, its monolithic popular perception makes its sustainable development nearly impossible. How can we understand the High North in all its complexities and develop it in line with the people that call it home? This week Declan is joined by Dr. Romain Chuffart, the President and Managing Director of The Arctic Institute, to discuss the history of Indigenous rights...

Russian mis- and disinformation occupied a prominent place in discussions about the war in Ukraine, but have you ever wondered how and why they are so effective? This week, Declan is joined by Dr. Juris Pupcenoks to examine how narratives are crafted and disseminated in Russia and internationally.

To learn more and keep up with the EETN follow us on social media and check out the website listed below: 

X (Twitter) - EETN

Link...

Over the past decade, China has expanded its presence in the Caucasus, improving infrastructure, establishing business interests, and expanding the trading potential of the region. The middle path, a key cog in the Belt and Road Initiative, connects east and west, opening new avenues for Chinese-European trade. On this episode, Declan sits down with Paul Gosselin to discuss how and why this middle corridor is becoming increasingly ...

The European Arctic has always been a space of opportunity and overlapping jurisdictions. In this episode, Declan is joined by Dr. Andreas Raspotnik, Director of the High North Center, to discuss how the High North presents opportunities and complications for the EU. They discuss how economic and hard security concerns are reshaping the return of focus to the region and how a more holistic understanding could produce a more robust ...

The war in Ukraine has entered its 5th year of conflict with little hope of it ending soon. In this episode, we look at the internal decisions being made by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the appointment of Chrystia Freeland. Declan is joined by Kim Nesbitt, EETN editor and PhD candidate, to examine what changes made by Zelenskyy to his inner circle could mean for a post-war Ukraine.

To learn more and keep up with the EETN foll...

The war in Ukraine has entered its 5th year of conflict with little hope of it ending soon. On this episode, we highlight the voices of resistance and resilience in Ukraine and in the diaspora. First, Declan is joined by Albina Kovalyova, a documentarian and award-winning journalist to discuss “Kharkev War Diaries.” A BBC Eye Investigation, it tells the story of three residents of Kharkev who remained in the city. Next,...

With brewing tensions over American threats to annex Greenland, Declan sits down with Dr. Paal Sigurd Hilde to discuss its importance to Arctic security and what this means for NATO. Dr. Hilde is a professor and researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. His research focuses on Arctic defence policy, NATO, and Nordic and international defence cooperation. He presented at Carleton University on the complex history of...

The Canadian government has recently called for NATO to “devote more focus to defence in the Arctic”. In the lecture, Professor Paal Hilde from the Norwegian Defence University College will outline the history of the Arctic’s place in NATO deterrence and defence and give his thoughts on the opportunities and challenges for further engagement of the Alliance in the region. Dr. Paal Sigurd Hilde is a professor of wa...

EETN Event: NATO at a Crossroads: Present Challenges and Future Trajectories

Hosted in partnership between the EETN, Carleton University, and the NATO Association of Canada, this event brings together academics and policymakers to examine NATO’s current challenges and future trajectory in light of shifting global security dynamics. Discussions will focus on the war in Ukraine, renewed great-power ...

We have seen a much more aggressive posture from US peace negotiators under US President Donald Trump. This podcast will move past the headlines to ask how shifting conceptions and goals of peace talks mean for the rules-based order and the historical legacies that have informed this current moment. To discuss this and more, Declan is joined by Dr. Jean-François Ratelle, an adjunct professor and researcher at the University&nb...

The COVID-19 Pandemic has birthed a new generation of conspiracy theories - ones that are unique and others that feed on historical legacies. On this episode of the EETN podcast, Declan is joined by Dr. Margarita Zavadskaya, a professor and researcher at The Finnish Institute of International Affairs and the University of Helsinki. Their conversation examines how COVID conspiracies have exposed deteriorating institutional trust in ...

This episode of the EETN podcast explores the goals and accomplishments of the Network's mentorship program. Working across international borders and academic disciplines, the program forged partnerships between young scholars and students and experts within their field. Dr. Jeff Sahadeo begins by explaining what the program accomplished this year, before we hear from Marika Barbieri-Antonoglou, a member of the first cohort and her...

As part of our mentorship program, Declan sat down with Eva Gaigalniece, a PhD candidate at the University of Latvia, researcher of radicalization, and journalist. They examined how the war in Ukraine has provoked rising radicalization in Latvia's Russian-speaking minority population. Building on her policy memo, Eva outlines how radicalization happens and what the Latvian government is doing to combat this worrying trend.

To lear...

As part of our mentorship program, Declan sat down with Marika Barbieri-Antonoglou, an undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa. They discussed the policy memo, published earlier this month, where Marika explored how Russian "doppleganger" campaigns contributed to influencing voter preferences by amplifying anti-EU and anti-Ukrainian support narratives in the lead-up to the 2024 European Parliamentary Elections. 

To ...

In January, Declan sat down with Dr. Stanislav Budnitsky, a Visiting Assistant Professor of Russian and Eurasian Studies at Colgate University, to discuss how Russia is harnessing humour as a weapon of war. It breaks down the insidious ways that Russian propaganda campaigns harness humour, pranks, and the internet to aid their war in Ukraine. 

To learn more and keep up with the EETN follow us on social media and check out the...

Declan is joined by Dr. Ryhor Nizhnikau, a Senior Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, to dissect how Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus have responded to changing EU and Russian policy in the face of unpredictability. This conversation foregrounds the recent histories of these three nations and how that has informed the present moment.

To learn more and keep up with the EETN follow us on social media and c...

On this episode of the EETN Podcast, Gabriella Pickton discussed the future of Moldovan, Ukrainian and Georgian accession in the face of the war in Ukraine with Dr. Frank Schimmelfennig, a Professor of European Politics and member of the Center for Comparative and International Studies at ETH Zurich. Recorded in January, this episode looks holistically at the appetite from EU accession in these turbulent times.

To learn more and k...

On this episode of the EETN Podcast, Valeriia Gusieva sits down with Dr. Maria Popova, an Associate Professor of Political Science at McGill University, to examine the fallout of Russo-American talks. The conversation foregrounds the sidelining of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and how the security community can react to the shifting geo-political landscape. 

To learn more and keep up with the EETN follow us on socia...