Politicians tend to aspire to a status quo: a clarity of positions and possibilities that deliver a semblance of stability. In a period of change, not to mention when things go wrong, there is a yearning for a status quo ante — a return to such clarity and stability, regardless of whether it is actually possible. It is significant that in the current world of radical change, no leader or decision-maker is talking about the status quo ante: all the cards are up in the air.
To get a feel for the decision-makers dilemmas within this new reality, Ilana Bet-El is joined by the Foreign Minister of Latvia, Baiba Braže. In a special short and sharp episode demanded by events, they focus on the situation in Ukraine and the need to support it, the significance of upping European defence, and the reality of life under Russian and Soviet occupation.
Reflecting on the vile reality in Ukraine, Minister Braže noted:
“In occupied territories, Russians are raping, Russians are stealing children, Russians are russifying, Russians are suppressing anything that you can possibly imagine. It’s all true.”
This episode was recorded on 27 February 2025.
- Chapters
- Is NATO still a solid pillar for European security?
- What are the discussions in the decision-making rooms?
- The horrific realities of Soviet and Russian occupations
Mentions
- Putin’s Ukraine: The End of War and the Price of Russian Occupation, Nataliya Gumenyuk
- UN report “Human rights 3 years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine”
- UN “Ukraine: Torture by Russian authorities amounts to crimes against humanity, says UN Commission of Inquiry”
- UN situation summary
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Latvia “Russia is using torture as a coordinated state policy against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war”
- Women Leaders – The end of a world with Olena Tregub & Inna Pidluska
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Ilana Bet-El
Credits
Production: Florence Ferrando
Music: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/let-good-times-roll License code: ZXIIIJUU2ISPZIJT
The European Leadership Network itself as an institution holds no formal policy positions. The opinions articulated above represent the views of the authors rather than the European Leadership Network or its members. The ELN aims to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time, to further its charitable purposes.
Image credit: Florence Ferrando
