The Heartland Chronicles with Marc Ozawa and Alex Thymmons Episode 4 (December, 2021)

As temperatures drop across Europe, populations are feeling the pressure of higher energy prices. Politicians are also looking for solutions to ease the burdens on their economies just beginning to recover from the pandemic lock-downs of 2020-21. Russia is offering relief, but only if German regulators finally approve the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. At the same time, Russia is amassing an alarming troop build-up along its border with Ukraine causing many to wonder if an invasion is imminent. This episode explores these topics and other security developments that will shape the coming winter months.

In this third episode of the Heartland Chronicles, Marc Ozawa and Alex Thymmons interview Dr. Katarzyna Zysk, Professor of International Relations at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies; Nonresident Senior Fellow at Atlantic Council; Governing Board Member at The European Initiative for Security Studies, to discuss her article on defense innovation and the fourth industrial revolution in Russia.

With the call on 26 January 2021 between the President of the US (POTUS) Joseph R. Biden, Jr. with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, many have been wondering how the Biden Administration will deal with Russia over the next few years. In this second episode of the Heartland Chronicles, Marc Ozawa and Alex Thymmons discuss US-Russia relations at the onset of Biden’s first 100 days as POTUS. It covers the arrest of Alexei Nevalny, the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, the Russian cyber attacks against the US critical infrastructure, the competition in the Arctic, US-Germany relations and Nord Stream 2, climate change and the Paris Agreement, the Iran nuclear deal, and ongoing human rights disagreements in Syria. Marc Ozawa also published recently a piece on Biden’s response to Russia, which can be found here: https://sites.utu.fi/bre/bidens-response-to-russia/ You can also read the White House Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/01/26/readout-of-president-joseph-r-biden-jr-call-with-president-vladimir-putin-of-russia/

Join us on this first episode of The Heartland Chronicles where we are talking about Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia in general, with a focus on security issues and geopolitics. In this episode we talk about our overall view of the state of geopolitical situation in the region today, about Putin’s annual press conference and about the Nord Stream 2 sanctions.