War Next Door: Romania's Security Challenges

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06/15/23 • 68 min

Romania plays an often under-appreciated role as a bulwark for NATO on its eastern flank. I spoke with Black Sea security expert and George Washington University Professor Iulia Joja on June 14 about Romania's security challenges amid Russia's war on neighboring Ukraine. Among the topics covered were: traditional Romanian attitudes toward Russia; issues in Romanian-Ukrainian bilateral relations; the changing NATO and US military presence in Romania; the threat to Moldova from Russia; the centrality of Crimea to the future security of Ukraine; the "Bucharest 9"; and the outlook at the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius for signals on future Ukrainian membership in NATO.

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El Salvador President Bukele's War on Gangs

President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador has declared an unprecedented and controversial war on the country's gangs. Under a "State of Exception" in effect since March 2022, over 60,000 suspected gang members have been arrested. Some human rights groups warn that the round up is coming at the expense of proper due process. Bukele's supporters note a dramatic drop in the murder rate and the return of the rule of law on the streets. Bukele's approval rating is over 80 percent. Bukele's experiment is being watched closely in the region, where others are also at the mercy of gangs and cartels.
I spoke about Bukele and his anti-gang efforts with El Salvador native and elections expert Mario Velasquez. Mario has been tracking politics in El Salvador since the 1970s. From 1985-95 he was Executive Director of MAES - Medical Aid for El Salvador. He was at one time affiliated with the leftist FMLN party.

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Confronting Russia's Nuclear Weapons Threats: A Conversation with Tom Countryman

You would not know if from the onslaught of nuclear weapons threats from Russian TV propagandists and political figures, but there is a 1973 Treaty between the USSR and the United States -- still in effect with Russia -- under which both sides agree to refrain from the use of nuclear weapons threats. I spoke with Tom Countryman, Board Chair of the Arms Control Association, about how to understand and confront Russia's barrage of threats. Tom knows of what he speaks. His 35-year career in the Foreign Service culminated in positions as Assistant Secretary and Acting Undersecretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation.
Topics included: The positions of China, India and the Global South on Russian nuclear threats; the possibilities for continued arms control with Russia despite its aggression and past treaty violations; the extreme danger of supposed limited nuclear weapons use leading to a strategic nuclear exchange; and the role of the Arms Control Association in advocating for a world without nuclear weapons.