{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6a22b52017f169d6433fb960/6ac527f85f56e1a28d472b6b?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"443. Moscow, Washington, and the New World Order","description":"<p>In this episode of <em>Battleground: The Big Picture</em>, host Patrick Bishop sits down with veteran international affairs journalist and <em>Economist</em> editor-at-large Xan Smiley to reflect on the shifting geopolitical landscape between Europe, Moscow, and Washington. </p><p><br></p><p>Drawing on his years as a former Moscow and Washington bureau chief, Xan reflects on:</p><ul><li><strong>The Fall of the Soviet Order:</strong> What life was like inside late-1980s Moscow during the eras of <em>glasnost</em> and <em>perestroika</em>, the sudden collapse of the USSR, and how ordinary Russians fared through the turbulent 1990s privatisation. </li><li><strong>The Evolution of US-Russia Dynamics:</strong> From Ronald Reagan’s pivotal shift on Moscow’s &quot;evil empire&quot; to Donald Trump’s unprecedented posture toward Vladimir Putin. </li><li><strong>NATO and Kremlin Narratives:</strong> Unpacking the deep-seated Russian psyche of encirclement, the debate around NATO expansion, and the impact on the war in Ukraine. </li><li><strong>The Rise of Global Populism:</strong> The forces driving political polarisation and the rise of right-wing populist parties across Europe and America. </li><li><strong>Bright Spots of Progress:</strong> Why the economic and democratic transformation of Eastern and Central Europe remains one of the greatest success stories of the post-Cold War era. </li></ul><p><br></p><p>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</p><p>Follow us on:</p><p>X - @PodBattleground</p><p>Instagram - podbattleground</p><p>Producer: James Hodgson</p><p>A Goalhanger Podcast</p>","author_name":"Goalhanger"}