Kremlin File with Natia Seskuria (Part 1)
In this episode, Olga and Mo are joined by Natia Seskuria to take a deep dive into Russia's aggressive tactics in Eastern Europe, particularly focusing on the events in Georgia and Ukraine. We discuss Russia’s 2008 Georgia invasion, Russia’s asymmetric warfare, information operations, and cyberattacks. We explore Russia’s use of the Russian Orthodox Church, the significance of Abkhazia and Ossetia to European security, alongside Ukraine's naval strategies in the Black Sea. Our discussion also covers the pattern of the Kremlin's assassinations, the global response required to counter Russian aggression, and the threat of Russian influence on European and the US elections.
You can listen to our discussion with Natia Seskuria here or from your preferred podcast platform.
Bio: Natia Seskuria
Natia Seskuria is a Founder and Executive Director of the Regional Institute for Security Studies (RISS), a Tbilisi-based think tank and an official partner of Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). Natia is also an Associate Fellow at RUSI and an Associate Professor at Business and Technology University.
In the past, she served at the Office of the National Security Council of Georgia and the Ministry of Defence of Georgia. Natia was also a Black Sea Fellow at the Middle East Institute (MEI), worked for the Foreign Editor of The Sunday Times of London, and in the International Security Studies Department at RUSI.
Natia specialises in conflicts and security in the South Caucasus and the Black Sea region. She regularly contributes to leading academic journals and online magazines and is a frequent commentator on major media outlets including BBC, France 24 and CNN.
Natia Seskuria: articles
Is Russia Expanding its Battlefront to Georgia? (2024)
Russia’s “Hybrid Aggression” against Georgia: The Use of Local and External Tools (2023)
We’re always happy to receive your questions and comments about the episode or your suggestions for future guests and content. Feel free to write to us on Substack, our socials, or at monique.camarra@gmail.com.
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