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.

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Producer: James Hodgson

A Goalhanger Podcast

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