Battleground

In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Patrick Bishop sits down with veteran international affairs journalist and Economist editor-at-large Xan Smiley to reflect on the shifting geopolitical landscape between Europe, Moscow, and Washington.

Drawing on his years as a former Moscow and Washington bureau chief, Xan reflects on:
The Fall of the Soviet Order: What life was like inside late-1980s Moscow during the eras of glasnost and perestroika, the sudden collapse of the USSR, and how ordinary Russians fared through the turbulent 1990s privatisation.
The Evolution of US-Russia Dynamics: From Ronald Reagan’s pivotal shift on Moscow’s "evil empire" to Donald Trump’s unprecedented posture toward Vladimir Putin.
NATO and Kremlin Narratives: Unpacking the deep-seated Russian psyche of encirclement, the debate around NATO expansion, and the impact on the war in Ukraine.
The Rise of Global Populism: The forces driving political polarisation and the rise of right-wing populist parties across Europe and America.
Bright Spots of Progress: Why the economic and democratic transformation of Eastern and Central Europe remains one of the greatest success stories of the post-Cold War era.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com
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Producer: James Hodgson
A Goalhanger Podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to support Matt's charity cycle raising money for SuperHumans? You can find his donation page here. www.justgiving.com/page/u2u

In this episode of Battleground, hosts Patrick Bishop and Roger Moorhouse dive into the latest developments from the front lines in Ukraine, featuring a deep dive into the successful "Operation Vivaldi" counteroffensive in the Donbas. Later, Belgian war correspondent Arnaud De Decker joins to share insights from his exclusive, behind-the-scenes interview with Robert Brovdi (aka "Magyar"), head of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces.

Key Topics Covered:
Operation Vivaldi: How Ukraine liberated over 250 square kilometres in the Donbas using ground-dropping robots, heavy bomber drones, and clever deception tactics (Maskirovka).
Inside the Underground Command: Journalist Arnaud De Decker describes his high-security journey to a secret command centre monitoring live battlefield feeds across hundreds of screens.
Exclusive Interview Insights with "Magyar": Robert Brovdi’s take on why deep-strike drone attacks in Russia are only 5% of daily missions, the strategic goal of replacing infantry with unmanned systems, and the chilling prospects of autonomous AI warfare.
Life in Kyiv & Winter Expectations: Frontline realities versus civil resilience in Kyiv as winter approaches under changing Russian drone tactics.
Cyber Warfare & Mailbag: A report on Poland's Cyber Legion initiative and listener questions on the future of tanks and European missile defence systems.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com
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Producer: James Hodgson
A Goalhanger Podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Julius Strauss is joined by prominent Canadian political columnist and author Andrew Coyne to analyse the escalating trade tensions and unprecedented strain on Canada–US relations.

The discussion covers the political shift in Canada following Mark Carney's election, the collapse of recent trade negotiations, the impact of US tariffs, and the broader threat posed to Canadian economic sovereignty.

Julius Strauss writes the blog Back from the Front and also owns and runs Wild Bear Lodge, a bear-viewing lodge, in Canada. Check out both in the links below:
Substack: https://backfromthefront.substack.com/
Wild Bear Lodge: https://wildbearlodge.ca/

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com
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Producer: James Hodgson
A Goalhanger Podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Battleground Ukraine, Saul David and Roger Moorhouse analyse the geopolitical fallout of Donald Trump signing the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, his push for Ukraine to halt refinery strikes, and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s proposal for a mutual energy ceasefire. They break down actual battlefield numbers versus Moscow’s exaggerated claims, how Australia’s Slinger counter-drone system is helping return armour to the front line, and a dire humanitarian situation in Russian-occupied Oleshky.

Plus, a deep dive into the latest cyber warfare—from the UK’s new National Centre for Information Defence to high-profile election hacks and state-sponsored cyber operations—followed by listener questions on striking Russian infrastructure, national resilience, and UK defence procurement reform.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com
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Producer: James Hodgson
A Goalhanger Podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Battleground: The Big Picture, host Saul David sits down with prize-winning, internationally bestselling historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to discuss his book, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East.

Montefiore shares the intense, challenging process behind crafting a fact-based, source-grounded history of the region from 1900 to the present day—a project designed to cut through modern social media disinformation, anti-factual discourse, and toxic polarisation. He highlights the importance of moving beyond a narrow, traditional lens to recognise neglected humanitarian crises in North Africa, Syria, and Sudan, emphasising that every human life carries equal moral weight.

The conversation explores key historical turning points across four distinct phases of modern Middle Eastern history:

The agency of local regional leaders, contrasting self-made figures like King Abdulaziz Al Saud with traditional top-down imperial narratives.
The complex collapse of the Ottoman Empire, early nationalist movements, and the tragic targeting of minorities such as the Armenians.
Strategic military lessons drawn from historical operations like the 1976 Entebbe raid and why lasting security requires political compromise alongside military capability.
The deeper, overarching battle of ideas within Islam, contrasting radical revolutionary Islamism with more open-minded, cosmopolitan visions.
The forgotten origin story of the region's modern borders, explaining how most Middle Eastern nation-states were created in the wake of the two World Wars.

Join the Conversation: If you have a question about the war in Ukraine or any of the conflicts we cover, email us at podbattleground@gmail.com
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Producer: James Hodgson
A Goalhanger Podcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.