The Red Line

The war in Ukraine completely changed how Europe saw its own defence, and once against the continent is beginning to scramble to hastily rearm and modernise its defence industries. The question being asked by several analysts though, is whether Europe is rearming for the right war? Whilst the tanks the UK, France and Germany are fast-tracking are optimal for the battlefields of Eastern Ukraine, they are of little use for future conflicts in the jungles of Mali, the foothills of the Balkans or even the beaches of Taiwan. Is Europe once again preparing to fight the last war? On the panel this week: - Neil Melvin (RUSI) - Alex Clarkson (Kings College) - Perun (Defense Analyst) - James Black (RAND) Intro = 00:00 PART 1 = 03:51 PART 2 - 29:59 PART 3 = 43:59 PART 4 = 1:05:06 Outro = 1:30:36 Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Follow the Show on @TheRedLinePod For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With demand for oil skyrocketing, the US are now reconsidering the usefulness of Venezuela's massive natural oil reserves. To meet the demand in the market, some in Washington are now even going as far as to propose the beginning of the normalisation of relations between Washington and Venezuela, with oil company Chevron already beginning operations inside the country as a test case. If the process goes ahead, it may signal an end to the US policy of "maximum pressure" throughout the region and the beginning of a region-wide policy shift. But how far will either side be willing to take these talks, and how will Venezuela's current allies in China and Russia react to these developments? We ask our panel of experts. On the panel this week: - Phil Gunson (Crisis Group) - Ben Norton (Geopolitical Economy) - Chris Sabatini (Chatham House) Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Follow the Show on @TheRedLinePod For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are major faultlines appearing within the Chinese economy, particularly within many of the state government's budgets. Large debts are now all coming due, and the leadership in Beijing will be faced with several tough decisions within the next few months. Will Xi choose the plunge the country into a self-imposed, but managed downtown, or will the bubble burst on its own, throwing the country into economic chaos? We sit down with our panel of experts to find out. On the panel this week: - Joanna Chiu (Toronto Star) - Logan Wright (Rhodium Group) - David Dollar (Brookings Institute) Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Follow the Show on @TheRedLinePod For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Numerous analysts failed to correctly predict the outcome of a war between Russia and Ukraine, with many anticipating Russia would conquer Ukraine within a matter of weeks. Some analysts, though, the ones watching Syria closely, could see the fractures in the Russian army beforehand, and these analysts are now watching Syria closely again. With Russia's position inside the country shifting quickly, will the Kremlin continue to pilot the country's decade-long civil war, or are other players beginning to move into the growing power vacuum? Can the Russian operations here in Syria once again show us the future of Ukraine? We ask our panel of experts. On the panel this week: - Joanne H Cummings (Baylor Uni) - Rich Outzen (Atlantic Council) - Wladimir Van Wilgenburg (Journalist) - Charles Lister (MEI) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

North Korea, a nation whose GDP is equivalent to that of the small island of Jamaica, has tested a record amount of missiles this year. With these increasing tests, there is a worry that they will build upon this momentum, and in the future, pose a credible threat to the United States itself. In response to this, several prominent figures have been calling for the US to preempt this event, and carry out an invasion of the DPRK, solving the issue once and for all. But how difficult would an invasion be, is the cost worth it, and will a conflict here pull the rest of the region in with it? We ask our panel of experts On the panel this week: - Bruce Bennett (RAND) - Chad O'Carroll (NKNews) - Michael Green (CSIS) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year Russia has watched their geopolitical position within the region sink from bad to worse, and now there is a brand new issue facing Moscow, with the Russian version of NATO, the CSTO (Collective Security Treaty Organisation), facing a crisis of confidence. After Azerbaijan called Russia's bluff in the Caucasus, the world now knows the core of the CSTO treaty is worthless. So what happens now, will the organisation disband, will an outside power like China take over the reins, or will it simply continue to evaporate slowly? We ask our panel of experts: On the panel this week: - Steven Pifer (Stanford) - Temur Umarov (Carnegie) - Raffaello Pantucci (RSIS) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is no greater challenge when it comes to Climate Change than that of the energy transition. For some countries, it will mean investing billions into the modernisation of their power grids, and for other countries, it will mean abandoning the source of revenue responsible for around 80% of thier national GDP. The prominent question in front of these countries now though is will these countries begin preparing for the transition now, or will they be blindsided when the market does it for them? On the panel this week: - Lou Munden (TMP) - Theresa Sabonis-Helf (Georgetown Uni) - Colby Connelly (EnergyIntel) - John Calabrese (Middle East Inst) - Henry Sanderson (Benchmark Mineral Intel) This episode is Part 5 of 5 of our miniseries, The Green Line, examining the near-term geopolitical implications of Climate Change. Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Follow TMP on @Mission2020s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billions of dollars worth of aid have been sent over the recent decades in hopes of building up the developing world, but whether the aid is achieving its stated goals is still up for debate. So this week, we look at how aid is being spent in Africa, how it compares to private funding and foreign loans, and what would need to be changed to make the impact on the ground? On the panel this week: - Max Lawson (Oxfam) - Daron Acemoglu (MIT) - Alex Vines (Chatham House) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world is on the precipice of the new revolution in Green Technology, but where do the materials for this Green Tech come from? One of the primary materials required for everything from smartphones to electric vehicle batteries is Cobalt, and silvery-gold looking mineral found primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The DRC holds the vast majority of the world's Cobalt, and the country has become a vital part of the global supply chain, but how safe is that? Are we betting the entire future of Green tech on a country already barreling toward war, floods, and civil conflicts? We ask our panel of experts. On the panel this week: - Jason Stearns (Congo Research Group) - Ben Radley (Uni of Bath) - Bossissi Nkuba (Uni of Antwerp & UCBukavu) - Emilia Columbo (CSIS Africa) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Follow TMP on @Mission2020s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Saudi Arabia is experiencing numerous simultaneous challenges at the moment, ranging from royal infighting, a rearming Yemen, a diverging population, and a growing threat from Iran. Tasked with guiding the Saudis through this storm is MBS, a leader whose track record leaves a bit to be desired. What is troubling most regional analysts though, is that the global reliance on Saudi oil means that if Saudi Arabia were to falter here, it might take down several Western Economies with it. On the panel this week: - Helen Lackner (ECRF) - Roby Barrett (MEI) - Jane Kinninmont (ELN) - Sanam Vakil (Chatham House) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Water is the most precious resource known to man, but some countries are currently preparing to wield it as a weapon. Through the building of hydroelectric dams, the shrinking of water supplies, or plain geography, water is set to reshape the balance of power in many of the world's geopolitical flashpoints. So where are these flashpoints, who is set to gain the upper hand, and how will climate craft a new reality for these nations? To answer that, we sat down with a panel of geopolitical experts. On the panel this week: - Ben Bowie (TMP) - Alex De Waal (World Peace Foundation) - Bruce Pannier (Freelance Journalist) - Michael Kugelman (Wilson Centre) - Gordon Flake (Perth USAsia Center) Made in partnership with The Mission Climate Project This episode is Part 3 of our 5 part series. Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Follow TMP on @Mission2020s For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Biden administration has just dealt a massive blow to the trajectory of the Chinese military, placing a ban on high-end microchips and semiconductors entering China. This is a virtually unprecedented move, and will almost certainly anchor down any growth for China's next generation of warfighting technology, but was this the right time? This is the most prominent card the US could have possibly played. Should they have played it now and given Beijing a chance to recover before a possible war, or played it later when China was at its most vulnerable? We sat down with our panel of experts to ask what effects these sanctions will have both now, and in the long term. On the panel this week: - Tim Cross (The Economist) - Bob Guterma (The China Project) - Jordan Schneider (Rhodium Group) - Chris Miller (Tufts School) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Beijing now plays a crucial part in the global supply chain, and with it, the global CO2 output. However, even though China only recently reached this level of industrialisation, climate change is hitting them at the same time as everywhere else. These changes in the environment are pushing China to fish in potentially war-starting waters, dam potentially drought-causing rivers, and force the state to attempt to achieve 60 years of energy development in the space of 5. Can they do it, or will China collapse under its own weight? On the panel this week: - Lou Munden (Mission Climate Project) - Kevin Rudd (Fmr Prime Minister of Australia) - Erin Sikorsky (Cnt for Climate and Security) - Erik Solheim (President of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative) This is Part 2 of our special 5-Part Series focusing on The Geopolitics of Climate Change This Production was Brought to you by The Red Line and Mission Climate Project Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Follow TMP on @Mission2020s For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mozambique has been struggling with an insurgency in its North for a number of years now, but events now appear to be moving from bad to worse. The area known as Cabo Delgado has chewed up and spat out PMCs and soldiers ranging from Russia's Wagner Group to South Africa's special forces, so will the EU or Rwanda finally be able to finally secure the contagious revolution in the North, or will this instability continue to deter international investors from entering Mozambique? On the panel this week: - Borges Nhamirre (ISS) - Irina Tsukerman (Washington Inst) - Emilia Columbo (CSIS) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more information please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whilst debates around Climate Change still rage on US TV, the US Military has been quietly preparing for the now inevitable. Planners are now acutely aware of just how quick Climate Change is coming down upon us, and how dramatically it will change the geopolitics of the planet. What wargames are the military running in preparation for this? Which theatres do they project to be the most impacted? and is the US ready for a worst-case scenario? We ask our panel of experts. On the panel this week: - Sharon Burke (Ecospherics/Fmr White House) - John Conger (Center for Climate and Security/Fmr White House) - Larry Wilkerson (Fmr Chief of Staff to Colin Powell) This is Part 1 of our special 5-Part Series focusing on The Geopolitics of Climate Change This Production was Brought to you by The Red Line and Mission Climate Project Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Follow TMP on @Mission2020s For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a landslide democratic victory the military siezed power with a coup in February 2021. To prevent democracy from slipping away once again, the people of Myanmar stood up against the military junta. These protests began what would spiral into a 19-month war that has shattered the country, and broken the economy. Now the war is entering a new stage, with the Junta retreating across the country. As the Junta retreat back to the major cities though, the opposition has begun to fracture and turn on each other. Is Myanmar about to plunge into an even more complicated civil war? On the panel this week: - Min Zaw Oo (CSIS) - Benjamin Strick (Myanmar Witness) - Joshua Kurlantzick (CFR) - Jason Tower (USIP) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more information, please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turkey is attempting to reassert itself back onto the world stage but stands at a crossroads as to which direction to extend its influence. Europe has blocked Turkey's entry into the EU for decades now, and Central Asia remains a little out of reach, so should Ankara turn toward the Middle East for adventurism. With this question in mind, we ask our experts what are Turkey's short and long-term goals here in the Middle East, and whether we will see Turkey once again use its geography to dominate the energy industry. On the panel this week: - Gönül Tol (MEI) - Rich Outzen (Atlantic Council) - Matthew Bryza (Jamestown) - James F. Jeffrey (Wilson Centre) Follow the show @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are now entering the sixth month of Russia's major offensive into Ukraine, and whilst reporters are fixed on the number of tank and infantry battles occurring across the country, many are missing the heated struggles taking place in within Ukraine's cyberspace. In this theatre, where many expected Russia to simply trample over Ukraine, the defenders have not only held their ground but are now taking the fight to Russia. So did we overestimate the Russian cyber capabilities, or is there more to this story? We ask our panel of experts. On the panel this week: - Roman Osadchuk (Atlantic Council) - Brig. Gen. Yurii Shchyhol (Head of SSSCIP for Ukraine) - Gavin Wilde (CEIP) - James Lewis (CSIS) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more information please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The aircraft carrier has been the crown jewel of national fleets for nearly 80 years, with these steel giants being the decisive factor in many of the last centuries' pivotal battles. With their growth in importance though, came a growth in ship size, and the new supercarrier class has become such a monolith that the production of just one unit costs more than the entire military budget of most of the US's adversaries combined. Is this a wise move, to build the greatest mobile fortress to every head to sea? Or will this new generation of Chinese submarines, stealth bombers and hypersonic missiles destroy decades of US progress in a single afternoon, for less than 1% of the price? On the panel this week: - Drachinifel (Naval Historian) - Sam Roggeveen (Lowy Inst) - Robert Farley (Patterson School) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Human trafficking has become the third largest industry in the black market, but unlike guns or drugs, which see millions of convictions per year, human trafficking sees less than 0.5% of cases prosecuted. So why is an industry that is so awful allowed to get away with so much, and what is preventing national governments from properly pursuing some of the world's most appalling perpetrators? We sit down with an expert panel to figure out why. On the panel this week - John Coyne (ASPI) - Gaby DeBellis (Human Rights Lawyer) - Martina Vandenberg (The Human Trafficking Legal Center) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The collapse of the USSR brought about a period within Russia of unbridled chaos, devolving into a free-for-all amongst citizens unsure where their next meal might be coming from. Everything that could have been stolen, was stolen, and included in that were up to 400 nuclear weapons. But where did all of these weapons end up, and how secure is the rest of Russia's apocalyptic arsenal today? Will the nuclear black market be responsible for the next major terrorist attack? On the panel this week - Robin M Frost - (Simon Fraser Uni) - Eric Gomez - (CATO) - Foeke Postma - (Bellingcat) - Andrew Futter - (Uni. of Leicester) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more information please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Baloch separatists continue to build pressure on Islamabad with several clashes in the country's south, many in the region are beginning to unsettle that this movement may destabilise the entire regional balance of power. Iran and Afghanistan worry that the successes here may inspire Baloch in their respective territories as well, the Chinese fear the additional attacks on its Pakistani infrastructure may be the nail in the coffin for the China-Pakistan corridor, and others in the neighbourhood fret that a Baloch victory may bring about the dissolution of Pakistan itself. Joining us this week - Sahar Khan (CATO) - Michael Kugelman (Wilson Centre) - James Dobbins (RAND) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Decades of interweaving between Europe and the Russian gas industry came crashing down upon Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine, and now Europe has been thrown into a no-win situation. The EU can stand with Ukraine, but it will mean tying an economic anchor around the continent's neck. Is the EU unified enough to travel down the more challenging roads, or will economic expediency win the day? Joining us this week: - Colby Connelly (Energy Intel) - Luca Anceschi (Uni of Glasgow) - Hari Seshasayee (Wilson Centre) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more information please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

80% of the world's trade will pass through the Indian Ocean at some point on its journey, yet the importance of this crucial theatre seems lost on many observers at the moment. With Beijing, Washington and New Dehli all making moves to capitalise on this crucial waterway which one of these nations has the momentum behind them? And which nation is beginning to fall behind? On the show this week - - Michael Kugelman (Wilson Centre) - Michael Wesley (Uni of Melbourne) - Dhruva Jaishankar (ORF) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Lukashenko released the now infamous Russian war plans map he raised alarm bells throughout Europe, signalling that Russia may be looking to conquer Ukraine first and Moldova second. The war has taken a drastic turn since that point, but the question of Moldovan security still looms over the Northern Balkans. Could reunification with Romania be a back door entry into EU membership and protection under the NATO umbrella, or will Transnistria continue to be the thorn in Chisinau's side? On the panel this week - Dennis Deletant (UCL) - Matei Rosca (Reporter.London) - James Ker-Lindsay (Uni of Kent) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most Latin American ambassadors tell the same story. Whilst every meeting with the US revolves around China, every meeting with the Chinese revolves around infrastructure. Beijing is making huge economic moves into South and Central America, but what is the US doing to counter it? On the show this week. - Margaret Myers (American Dialogue) - Evan Ellis (US Army War College) - Paul Angelo (CFR) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

War is an increasingly complicated operation, and these days most battles are fought on excel spreadsheets as much as they are in the field. The US has just launched a barrage of sanctions against long time rival Russia, a far bigger fish than the usual target of such an economic attack. When the US sanctions Venezuela or Iran the blowback domestically is minimal, but what happens when sanctions are applied to a major economy what will the result be? Will this be the action that shakes the US's economic hegemony? Joining us this week is - William Reinsch (CSIS) - Kate Bauer (Washington Institute) - Chris Miller (Tufts University) - John Parachini (RAND) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow the Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oman has for decades now pitched itself as the "Switzerland of the Middle East", holding a steady course of neutrality above all. Staying neutral though is a luxury afforded by good times, a luxury that can be forcefully taken away by others. As the dynamics of the Middle East begin to change, and multipolar completion intensifies in the region can Oman maintain its current course, or will it be forced to finally decide where its future lies? On the panel this week: - Calvin Allen (Uni of Shenandoah) - Colby Connelly (Energy Intel) - Bruce Reidel (Brookings Institute) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more information visit: - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The higher the temperature, the higher the chance of a fire. With the current myriad of crises in West Africa, we are witnessing a frightening rise in the geopolitical temperature each and every month. A wave of coups has begun sweeping across much of the region, but whilst all of these coups have individual circumstances something must be permeating the region as a whole to make this possible? On the panel this week. - Ebenezer Obadare (CFR) - Hennie Strydom (Uni of Johannesburg) - Michael Rubin (AEI) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Washington and Beijing continuing to engage in a new competition for international influence, Europe stands in an odd place. Combined the EU is the largest GDP in the world, but from a military standpoint, the continent has become a patchwork of forces with wildly varied operability. To maintain its position as a world power should Europe double down on its continental experiment and form a united European army, or do the scars of history and millennium of violence still prevent Europe from standing defensively on its own? Joining us this week. - Phil Breedlove (Fmr Cmd NATO EUR) - Sophia Besch (Cen. European Reform) - George Friedman (Geopolitical Futures) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world's soon to be newest nation is stepping out onto the world stage, complicating the geopolitics of its region. A fractured Papua New Guinea worries Bougainville may start a trend of breakaway states, The Solomon Islands worry about competing interests, China worries about others consolidating the Copper industry, and Australia is worried about betting on the wrong horse. How will the independence of Bougainville shake up the balance of power in Melanesia? We ask our panel of experts. Our panel this week. - Tess Newton Cain (Pacific Hub) - Bal Kama (ANU) - Michael Shoebridge (ASPI) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are entering the next stage of the Syrian Civil War, a less bloody stage, but a far more impactful one. The major powers that ratcheted this war to where it is today are now looking to finalise the future for the country, will it be divided into zones of control, will the US look to negotiate a settlement, or will Assad regain control of his former nation? There are few good options on the table, and each one of them comes with a myriad of consequences. Joining us this week. - Joshua Landis (Uni of Oklahoma) - Doug Bandow (CATO Inst) - Robert Ford (Fmr US Amb to Syria) - Charles Lister (Middle East Institute) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Suriname is a country so far off of most analysts radar that few have looked past its basic details and into its complicated geopolitical crossroads. The leader of the country is now faced with a decision to either change to seek the quick riches of the burgeoning oil industry, or to maintain a somewhat diversified economy and keep his growth and momentum grounded. This new leadership already signals major reforms for the country, but how far can you change the course of a nation without creating instability? On the panel this week - Evan Ellis (US War College) - Perri Grace (Geopolitical Analyst) - Christopher Sabatini (Chatham House) Follow the Red Line on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turkey spent much of the 20th-century building itself back up from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, striving to once again become the major power at the world's crossroads. Turkey's influence now extends to the battlefields of North Africa, to the slopes of the Caucasus, to the supply chains of Europe, and into the frontlines of Syria. Although there is one more front Turkey is looking to gain influence in, Central Asia. Can Ankara use its cultural connections with its Turkic neighbours across the Caspian to position itself as the balance of power between Russia and China in Central Asia? On the panel this week - Alex Kokcharov (Russia Analyst) - Matthew Bryza (Fmr US Amb) - Hugh Williamson (Human Rights Watch) - Bruce Pannier (Radio Free Liberty) Follow the Red Line on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Causing international chaos has never been cheaper or easier, with terrorist groups able to gather funding and recruits from across the world. The question is though, why can't we just cut off these groups from their funding? How are they able to use the banking systems to take donations, and the West seems unable to prevent it? We ask our expert panel how these groups are funded, and what can be done to weaken them? On the panel this week - John Coyne (ASPI) - Mick Mulroy (Lobo Institute) - Matthew Levitt (Washington Institute) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whilst the eyes of the world are fixated on Russia's border with Ukraine, Moscow is beginning to make major moves 7500km to the East on Russia's Pacific coast. The major powers have begun their pivot to Asia, and now Russia is scrambling to reassert itself into a struggle unfolding right in its own backyard. Will Russia be able to regain regional leadership, or will they take a back seat to an ascendant China? On the panel this week - Neil Melvin (RUSI) - Natasha Kuhrt (Kings College) - Jeffrey Edmonds (CNA) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bosnia is currently sliding back toward ethnic conflict and civil strife as Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik proposes major reforms that would help even further break down the countries fragile political ecosystem. Whilst the US and the EU turn their attention elsewhere in the world the Balkans are once again becoming a powderkeg set to explode on Europe's doorstep. On the panel this week - James Ker-Lindsay (Kent University) - Majda Ruge (ECRF) - Tim Marshall (Author) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sri Lanka has for decades experienced crisis after crisis, but throughout it all remained steadfastly neutral, always being able to play bigger players like India and China off of each other. But now with a worsening financial crisis and ethnic tensions flaring up again can Colombo afford to go it alone? On the panel this week - Asanga Abeyagoonasekera (APCSS) - Tharaka Balasuriya (Minister for Regional Coop) - Thamil Ananthavinayagan (Uni. of Nottingham) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Russia becoming increasingly brazen on NATO's Eastern flank, the Baltic nations aren't looking as safe as they once were. Could we see another unofficial invasion of the Baltic states by Russia's little green men, and if so how would NATO respond? This week we sit down with our panel and talk through NATO's Baltic defence plan, and what needs to change to be able to guarantee the safety of NATO's Eastern frontier. On the panel this week. - Mathieu Boulegue (Chatham House) - Thomas Graham (CFR) - David Shlapak (RAND) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www. theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

War is becoming increasingly privatised, and the rules of the battlefield are shifting. Now we are reaching a point when companies are fighting companies, and the international justice system has no framework to deal with it. This week we take a look at just how out of control the situation has become by analysing Wagner's operations in Africa and on the sea. On the panel this week. - Sean Mcfate (Atlantic Council) - Catrina Doxsee (CSIS) - Andreas Krieg (Kings College) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades Algeria has been tussling for the leadership position in North Africa with its Western neighbour Morocco, the fighting has stretched from Western Sahara, to the Sahel, and even to competing economies. Now the conflict is beginning to bubble up again, will it mean victory for Algeria, or internal collapse for Africas largest nation. We ask our expert panel. On the panel this week. - Jalel Harchaoui (Global Initiative) - Robert S. Ford (Fmr US Ambassador) - Riccardo Fabiani (Intl Crisis Group) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Vietnam is quickly become the new frontline in the South China Sea, with the nation standing in the direct path of an expansionist China. Will Vietnam be able to once again be the rock great empires crash upon, or will they be pulled into Beijing's gravitational orbit. On the panel this week Sebastian Strangio - The Diplomat Huong Le Thu - ASPI Gordon Flake - Perth USAsia Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Space has become the newest battlefield to undergo wide-ranging militarization, with everything from Nuclear Weapons to Kamikaze Satellites being deployed into orbit. What was once just a two-horse race between the US and the USSR has now burst right open, and the dominant position in space may be up for grabs; with serious geopolitical consequences here on Earth. On the panel this week. - Bleddyn Bowen (University of Leicester) - Alexey Muraviev (Curtin University) - John B. Sheldon (Policy Exchange) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since 1994 Belarus has been ruled by Alexander Lukashenko, better known as Europe's last dictator. 2020 though brought a brand new wave of protests and Lukashenko's position in power has become somewhat shakey, and he is beginning to outlive his usefulness to the Kremlin. Will the Kremlin fight to keep him there, or place someone else on the throne? Is there a future for Belarus in the West? On the panel this week - Scott Rauland (Fmr US Amb to Belarus) - Heather Conley (CSIS) - Steven Pifer (Fmr US Amb to Ukraine) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Turkey and Greece have been battling each other for influence over the Eastern Mediterranean now for centuries, and nowhere is that struggle more evident than on the island of Cyprus. The island is currently divided into 3 parts, and for decades the conflict has remained stagnant, but will the conflict reignite with the discovery of a range of new gas fields off the coast? On the panel this week - Madalina Vicari (Geopolitics Writier) - Andreas Theophanous (Uni of Nicosia) - Matthew Bryza (Fmr Ambassador) - Robert M Cutler (NATO Canada) Follow the show on - @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on - @MikeHilliardAus More info at - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

South America's largest nation is currently in the middle of a tumultuous period, with war at home and a looming financial crisis on the horizon. What does the next decade hold in store for the heart of the continent, and will the military retake control of the country? We ask our expert panel. - Christoph Harig (HSU Hamburg) - Victor Pougy (Intercept Brazil) - Christopher Sabatini (Chatham House) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more info visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the attention of the world focused elsewhere, a conflict that threatens the stability of an entire continent has slipped under the radar. Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict has rapidly spiralled out of control, decimating their Armed Forces and sending the country toward the brink of collapse. With few options left, the now desperate Ethiopian Government is recalling their peacekeepers from dozens of hotspots across Africa, opening the door for conflicts throughout the continent to reignite. On the panel this week. Kjetil Tronvoll (Oslo Analytica) Alan Boswell (Crisis Group)Alex De Waal (World Peace Foundation)For more info please visit www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Diamonds have been used to pay militias and rebel groups for decades due to their ease of transportation, global demand, and reliable value. After diamonds fuelled conflict across Africa, the Kimberley Process was created to stop the use of conflict diamonds, but its limitations have left key loopholes open. Exploiting these has allowed this trade to rampage through the African continent once again. How can this process be reformed? And who will pay the price? On the panel this week. Brad Brooks Rubin - Global Initiative Russel Shor - Minerals Journalist Shamiso Mtisi - Kimberley Process Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more information visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dubai's transformation from a fishing village to a global hub epitomises the unlikely country that is the United Arab Emirates. Massive oil wealth has enabled them to punch above their weight, but as the world marches away from oil, the pressure is building to secure their future while they still can. How will the UAE diversify? And what is its ambitious Red Sea strategy? We ask our expert panel: Hilal Khashan (American University of Beirut) Helen Lackner (ECFR) Bilal Saab (Middle East Institute) For more info please visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To counter an ever-expanding China, Tokyo is turning abroad in search of allies. Key to this is the recent revival of "The Quad", a strategic dialogue between The US, Australia, Japan and India. Will it be enough to counter their rising neighbour across the East China Sea? Is this the first step to creating an "Asian NATO", and what will Chinas response be? We ask our expert panel. On the panel this week: Owen Swift (ASPI) John Nilsson-Wright (Cambridge) John Coyne (ASPI) Follow the show on @TheRedLinePod Follow Michael on @MikeHilliardAus For more information visit - www.theredlinepodcast.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices