Explore every episode of the podcast Escalation with Gabrielius Landsbergis
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| E06 - Ben Hodges, Former Commander of US Army Europe | 04 May 2025 | 00:51:43 | |
Ben Hodges had an action-packed career in the US military, gaining deep knowledge of the strategic background in Europe. Ben is a vocal supporter of Ukraine and we are honoured to have this opportunity to hear his zoomed-out assessment of the strategic shifts playing out around the world.00:00 Understanding Ukraine's Path to Victory05:35 The Fear of Escalation and Its Implications09:56 Evolution of Ukrainian Military Strategy13:31 Western Support and Capabilities for Ukraine17:26 Logistics and the Challenges of Military Aid21:19 The Debate on Military Support and Strategic Objectives24:43 The Coalition of the Willing: Feasibility and Political Will32:20 Phases of Conflict Resolution35:22 Risks After Ceasefire39:30 Historical Lessons from WWII43:50 Potential Pearl Harbor Moment46:03 US Military Repositioning in Europe51:30 Lithuania's Defense Strategies53:56 Advocating for Ukraine's NeedsSubscribe to the mailinglist at landsbergis.comFollow Gabrielius on socials @GLandsbergis | |||
| E05 Jakub Janda – Czech expert on the Indo-Pacific region | 21 Apr 2025 | 00:45:50 | |
Jakub Janda is a Czech political scientist and the Executive Director of the European Value Center for Security Policy. Based in Prague and now also active in Taipei, Jakub has been at the forefront of efforts to counter hybrid threats from authoritarian regimes, with a sharp focus on Russian and Chinese influence operations in Europe and beyond. 00:00 Introduction to Czech Politics and Indo-Pacific Relations 02:35 Czech Republic's Unique Position on China and Taiwan 05:27 The Impact of Czech Elections on Foreign Policy 08:10 US-Russia-China Dynamics and the Reverse Kissinger 11:16 China's Strategic Interests in Europe and Indo-Pacific 13:58 China's Military Assertiveness and Economic Engagement 16:56 Long-term Chinese Strategy and Global Alliances 23:48 The Cost of Alliances in Asia 26:15 The Impact of Ukraine on Indo-Pacific Security 29:05 Taiwan's Lessons from Ukraine 34:38 China's Strategic Options for Taiwan 43:08 Advice for European Leaders on Indo-Pacific Strategy Join the mailing list: landsbergis.com Follow Gabrielius Landsbergis on social media: @glandsbergis | |||
| E04 Jonas Ohman - Co-founder of Blue/Yellow, top NGO assisting Ukraine | 26 Mar 2025 | 00:36:52 | |
Jonas Ohman is Co-founder of Blue/Yellow www.blue-yellow.lt Europe's biggest non-governmental supplier of military aid to Ukraine. Blue/Yellow has raised $100million since 2014, primarily in Lithuania, a country of only 3 million people. We talked to Jonas about his personal journey, the outstanding work of his NGO and the situation on the ground in Ukraine as he sees it. 00:00 Journey to Lithuania 04:15 Understanding the Nordic Perspective 06:56 The Role of Blue Yellow in Supporting Ukraine 11:14 The Evolution of Warfare: Drones and Technology 12:30 Changes in Ukraine: From 2014 to Now 16:46 Nation Building and Identity in Ukraine 17:01 Logistics and Challenges of Humanitarian Aid 18:29 Understanding the Humanitarian Response to Ukraine 23:33 Lessons Learned from the Ongoing Conflict 28:09 The Example of Finland 32:51 Shifting Security Paradigms in Europe Join the mailing list:landsbergis.com Follow Gabrielius Landsbergis on social media:@GLandsbergis Donate to Blue/Yellow:www.blue-yellow.lt | |||
| E03 Dmytro Kuleba - Former Foreign Minister of Ukraine | 12 Feb 2025 | 00:38:06 | |
Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's former Minister of Foreign Affairs, discusses diplomacy in the ongoing war. Together with Gabrielius Landsbergis he talks about the failures of de-escalation and the historical context that has shaped Western perceptions of Ukraine. Touching on peace plans, security guarantees and nuclear weapons, this is a very enlightening crash course in what the West is doing wrong.00:00 Introduction to Ukraine's Diplomatic Struggles02:06 Lessons from Failed De-escalation Efforts05:50 Historical Context and Western Misunderstandings07:57 The West's Evolving Perception of Ukraine09:38 Challenges of Peace Plans and Ceasefires11:19 Ukrainian Opinions about Peace Deals14:15 Putin's Motivations for Negotiation15:59 The Need for Security Guarantees19:14 The Feasibility of Peacekeepers21:04 Historical Lessons from Minsk Agreements22:59 The Importance of Kursk in Negotiations25:03 The Nuclear Weapons Debate31:49 The Call for Elections Amidst War34:35 Responses to the Pope's comments36:39 President Zelensky's Diplomacy Join the mailing list: landsbergis.com Follow Gabrielius Landsbergis on social media: @GLandsbergis | |||
| E02 Thórdís Gylfadóttir - Former Foreign Minister of Iceland | 02 Feb 2025 | 00:27:46 | |
Thórdís Gylfadóttir was Iceland's Minister of Foreign Affairs until recently. And recently a lot has been going on in her neighbourhood–the North Atlantic and Arctic. She explains her perspective to Gabrielius Landsbergis at this historic and unpredictable moment in the region's history. 00:00 Iceland's Foreign Policy and Political Landscape 08:10 Iceland's Support for Ukraine 14:34 Geopolitics of the Arctic Region 18:55 Greenland's Independence and Future Prospects Join the mailing list: Follow Gabrielius Landsbergis on X and Bluesky: @GLandsbergis | |||
| E01 Vytis Jurkonis - Human rights defender for dissidents from Belarus and Russia | 18 Jan 2025 | 00:45:29 | |
Vytis Jurkonis is a Lithuanian human rights defender and the go-to-guy for dissidents who need to flee Belarus and Russia. In this pilot episode of Escalation, Gabrielius Landsbergis talks to Vytis about how Lithuania became a haven for dissidents, and how we could achieve the goal of Belarus and Russia becoming free, peaceful and democratic countries. 00:00 Introduction 02:17 Lithuania as a Place of Refuge 05:00 The Process of Seeking Refuge in Lithuania 07:39 Understanding the Belarusian Regime 09:52 Negotiating with Authoritarian Leaders 12:37 Lithuania's Role in Supporting Dissidents 15:01 Svetlana Tsikhanouskaya and Lithuania 16:54 Lithuania's Historical Support for Freedom 20:58 Solidarity with Freedom Movements in Eastern Europe 23:30 Understanding Russia's Opposition and Dissidents 29:00 The Role of Independent Media in Russia 32:12 The Complexity of Russian Identity and Guilt 38:53 The Path to a Democratic Russia Join the mailing list: Follow Gabrielius Landsbergis on X and Bluesky: @GLandsbergis | |||