In this exploration of Lithuania's bold diplomatic stance on Taiwan, Lithuania’s former Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis provides a first-hand account of navigating the complex geopolitical tensions between Beijing, Taipei, and Vilnius. The conversation examines China's escalating pressure tactics following Lithuania's controversial decision to open a Taiwanese representative office, offering valuable lessons for democracies confronting authoritarian coercion. Our guest analyzes the strategic linkages between Russia's war in Ukraine and Indo-Pacific security challenges, evaluating NATO's evolving approach to China and questioning whether Western powers are sending appropriate deterrence signals. The episode delivers rare insights into how smaller democratic nations can shape international relations while navigating the increasingly interconnected security challenges across Europe and Asia.

This month's guest: Gabrielius Landsbergis is a Lithuanian politician and diplomat who served as Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from December 2020 until November 2024.

Links:

https://geopolitique.eu/en/2025/01/14/a-conversation-with-gabrielius-landsbergis-lithuanias-former-minister-of-foreign-affairs/

https://kyivindependent.com/us-russia-talks-are-the-last-warning-for-europe-gabrielius-landsbergis-says/

https://www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english/19/2423737/nato-must-draw-red-lines-for-russia-over-hybrid-attacks-lithuanian-fm

https://asiasociety.org/policy-institute/resilience-resolve-lessons-lithuanias-experience-chinese-economic-coercion

https://globaltaiwan.org/2022/07/lithuanias-confrontation-with-china-over-taiwan-lessons-from-a-small-country/

When discussing Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, we often focus on its broader, pan-European implications. In doing so, we sometimes overlook the profound local impact on Ukrainian communities, with individual stories only occasionally reaching the mainstream. How has the war affected the Ukrainian people as a nation, and how are they coping? What has Ukraine discovered about the so-called "Axis of Evil" warfare alliance through its analysis of Russian military technology? How does China support the Russian military? We explore these questions - and much more - with Kateryna Musiienko.

This month's guest: Kateryna Musiienko is a Senior Foreign Policy Expert at the National Interests Advocacy Network (ANTS), Kremenchuk City Council Member, and the Deputy Head of the Committee for Foreign Relations, Education, and Youth. Kateryna is a former Advisor to Andrius Kubilius, a Member of the European Parliament, and former advisor to the Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament. She is a founder of the Ukraine Development Center NGO, which focuses on local European projects and reconstruction. She holds master’s degrees from the University of Oxford, the University of Passau, and the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

As China continues to speak about "peaceful reunification" while raising regional tensions, and Donald Trump's new administration takes full effect, Japan faces growing uncertainty. Despite maintaining a strong working relationship with president Trump during his first term, Japan can no longer fully count on U.S. military intervention. What does this mean for Japan’s future, and what steps will it take next?

This month's guest: Nobushige Takamizawa is currently Visiting Professor at the University of Tokyo. Before coming back to Tokyo, he served as Ambassador of Japan to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva from December 2016 to January 2020. Between 2013 and 2016, he worked for the Cabinet Secretariat as Assistant Chief Cabinet Secretary and Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Secretariat (NSS), and Director-General of the National Centre for Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC). He joined the Ministry of Defense in 1978 and has taken various positions in MOD including Director-General of the Bureau of Defense Policy and President of the National Institute for Defense Studies (NIDS).