Mildly Alarmed

Inside Europe's debate about nukes

Welcome to the fourth episode of Mildly Alarmed, a new weekly podcast about European and global security hosted by Anastasiia Lapatina, Fabian Hoffman, Minna Ålander, and Karen-Anna Eggen.  This episode is about nuclear detterence—how it works, how it doesn’t work, and what the future of nuclear detterence in Europe looks like. We explain nuclear strategies of the United States and Russia, look at the French and British nuclear forces, and discuss why some European states, like the Baltics, are skeptical of a potential French nuclear detterent for Europe.  If you want to support our show, go to our Buy Me A Coffee page at http://buymeacoffee.com/mildlyalarmed [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGhvcjQ0RDBnMXZXVFc5ZDJiWEZIWVBaenVqUXxBQ3Jtc0ttWEhXZy1FOHlZemVsUVZEa1VscFBfWDVYQ3dxemJwOUNZXzZLWFJqREVMWXRPODl1MHg2RURiV1poLVFndkU0cERXdndQQUNzXzRfb2dhZkkxUWhLQm03a1lZd2ExSmRETURxUndWSG5CWDZoZnJsbw&q=http%3A%2F%2Fbuymeacoffee.com%2Fmildlyalarmed&v=vRPr18EIL78]  Email us at alarmedmildly@gmail.com with any guest feedback, suggestions, and questions.   Mentioned in the show: “Macron Offers a Promising Vision for Nuclear Deterrence in Europe” from French Institute of International Relations: https://shorturl.at/kjyT2 [https://shorturl.at/kjyT2] Nordic nuclear debate “Nordic Nukes: Seeking Strategic Agency in Uncertain Times” from the Center for Strategic and International Studies: https://shorturl.at/08zIJ [https://shorturl.at/08zIJ]  “The Fall Crisis of 2022: why did Russia not use nuclear arms?” by Ulrich Kühn: https://shorturl.at/8zhNn [https://shorturl.at/8zhNn]  “UK struggles to reassure Ukraine after easing new sanctions on Russian oil” from The Guardian: https://shorturl.at/BcxKS [https://shorturl.at/BcxKS]  “Even by Trumpian standards, a $1.8bn fund for friends is bad” from The Economist: https://shorturl.at/kCYvd [https://shorturl.at/kCYvd]  Credits:  Anastasiia Lapatina is Ukraine Fellow at Lawfare. She writes a weekly newsletter about Ukraine called Yours Ukrainian. She is based in Kyiv.  Karen-Anna Eggen is a Senior Researcher and the Head of the Programme for Ukraine and Full-Spectrum Threats at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. She is based in Oslo. Fabian Hoffman is a Senior Research Fellow at the Programme for Ukraine and Full-Spectrum Threats at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. He is the author of the Missile Matters newsletter about defence, missile technology, and nuclear strategy. He is based in Oslo. Minna Ålander is an Analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. She’s also an Associate Fellow at Chatham House and a Non-Resident Fellow at CEPA. Minna also writes a newsletter about European security called Northern Flank Notes. She is based in Stockholm. The podcast is engineered by Anthony Bartaway, who is also the co-host of a podcast called Ukraine Without Hype: / @ukrainewithouthype   [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqAUk2oJ9jvb-QcoOoPaiIw]

Has the US abdicated from global leadership?

Welcome to the third episode of Mildly Alarmed, a new weekly podcast about European and global security hosted by Anastasiia Lapatina, Fabian Hoffman, Minna Ålander, and Karen-Anna Eggen.  To set up the show, we are dedicating the first three episodes to recent trends in Ukraine, Europe, and global security.  Episode three dives into the changing global order—are we experiencing a rupture, or something Minna calls a CGC? What is the global impact of the US-Israel war against Iran, and how do Europeans view the conflict?  If you want to support our show, go to our Buy Me A Coffee page at http://buymeacoffee.com/mildlyalarmed [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGhvcjQ0RDBnMXZXVFc5ZDJiWEZIWVBaenVqUXxBQ3Jtc0ttWEhXZy1FOHlZemVsUVZEa1VscFBfWDVYQ3dxemJwOUNZXzZLWFJqREVMWXRPODl1MHg2RURiV1poLVFndkU0cERXdndQQUNzXzRfb2dhZkkxUWhLQm03a1lZd2ExSmRETURxUndWSG5CWDZoZnJsbw&q=http%3A%2F%2Fbuymeacoffee.com%2Fmildlyalarmed&v=vRPr18EIL78]  Email us at alarmedmildly@gmail.com with any guest feedback, suggestions, and questions.    Mentioned in the show: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, from CBC: https://shorturl.at/bveMJ [https://shorturl.at/bveMJ]  “At a glance: Starmer fights to stay on as prime minister”, from BBC: https://shorturl.at/WmLQP [https://shorturl.at/WmLQP]  “Putin Marks Pared-Down Victory Day Parade in Moscow After Zelensky Gives ‘Permission’”, from Time: https://shorturl.at/AZkwz [https://shorturl.at/AZkwz]  “Ukraine’s Energy Corruption Scandal Just Got Much Worse” from Lawfare: ⁠https://shorturl.at/ngHoX⁠ [https://shorturl.at/ngHoX]  “Friedrich Merz can’t go on like this”, from The Economist: ⁠https://shorturl.at/JNEGF⁠ [https://shorturl.at/JNEGF]  Credits:  Anastasiia Lapatina is Ukraine Fellow at Lawfare. She writes a weekly newsletter about Ukraine called Yours Ukrainian. She is based in Kyiv.  Karen-Anna Eggen is a Senior Researcher and the Head of the Programme for Ukraine and Full-Spectrum Threats at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. She is based in Oslo. Fabian Hoffman is a Senior Research Fellow at the Programme for Ukraine and Full-Spectrum Threats at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. He is the author of the Missile Matters newsletter about European defence, missile technology, and nuclear strategy. He is based in Oslo. Minna Ålander is an Analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. She’s also an Associate Fellow at Chatham House and a Non-Resident Fellow at CEPA. Minna also writes a newsletter about European security called Northern Flank Notes. She is based in Stockholm. The podcast is engineered by Anthony Bartaway, who is also the co-host of a podcast called Ukraine Without Hype: / @ukrainewithouthype  [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqAUk2oJ9jvb-QcoOoPaiIw]

Is Europe doomed without the US?

Welcome to the second episode of Mildly Alarmed, a new weekly podcast about European and global security hosted by Anastasiia Lapatina, Fabian Hoffman, Minna Ålander, and Karen-Anna Eggen.  To set up the show, we are dedicating the first three episodes to recent trends in Ukraine, Europe, and global security.  Episode two dives into the state of European security and defense. How is Europe navigating an aggressive Russia, a less reliable US, and a surge in defence spending? We discuss whether things are really as gloomy for the continent as they are sometimes portrayed—and experience a power outage, though probably not from where you’d expect. If you want to support our show, go to our Buy Me A Coffee page at http://buymeacoffee.com/mildlyalarmed [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbGhvcjQ0RDBnMXZXVFc5ZDJiWEZIWVBaenVqUXxBQ3Jtc0ttWEhXZy1FOHlZemVsUVZEa1VscFBfWDVYQ3dxemJwOUNZXzZLWFJqREVMWXRPODl1MHg2RURiV1poLVFndkU0cERXdndQQUNzXzRfb2dhZkkxUWhLQm03a1lZd2ExSmRETURxUndWSG5CWDZoZnJsbw&q=http%3A%2F%2Fbuymeacoffee.com%2Fmildlyalarmed&v=vRPr18EIL78]  Email us at alarmedmildly@gmail.com with any guest feedback, suggestions, and questions.   Mentioned in the show: “One belt, one Donbas: China is gaining a foothold in Russian-occupied Ukraine” from The Insider: ⁠https://shorturl.at/HvyPa⁠ [https://shorturl.at/HvyPa]  “US withdrawing 5,000 troops from Germany, US officials” say from Military Times:  ⁠https://shorturl.at/Y2ELS⁠ [https://shorturl.at/Y2ELS]  “Lithuania Says It Broke Up Russian Sabotage and Murder Plots” from the New York Times: ⁠https://shorturl.at/IKR7c⁠ [https://shorturl.at/IKR7c]  “Explainer: Is Zelensky implicated in Ukraine's largest corruption scandal, and what do the new tapes reveal?” from the Kyiv Independent: ⁠https://shorturl.at/TWZm7⁠ [https://shorturl.at/TWZm7]  Credits:  Anastasiia Lapatina is Ukraine Fellow at Lawfare. She writes a weekly newsletter about Ukraine called Yours Ukrainian. She is based in Kyiv.  Karen-Anna Eggen is a Senior Researcher and the Head of the Programme for Ukraine and Full-Spectrum Threats at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. She is based in Oslo. Fabian Hoffman is a Senior Research Fellow at the Programme for Ukraine and Full-Spectrum Threats at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. He is the author of the Missile Matters newsletter about defence, missile technology, and nuclear strategy. He is based in Oslo. Minna Ålander is an analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. She’s also an Associate Fellow at Chatham House and a Non-Resident Fellow at CEPA. Minna also writes a newsletter about European security called Northern Flank Notes. She is based in Stockholm. The podcast is engineered by Anthony Bartaway, who is also the co-host of a podcast called Ukraine Without Hype: / @ukrainewithouthype   [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqAUk2oJ9jvb-QcoOoPaiIw]

Is Ukraine winning the war?

Welcome to the first episode of Mildly Alarmed, a new weekly podcast about European and global security hosted by Anastasiia Lapatina, Fabian Hoffman, Minna Ålander, and Karen-Anna Eggen. To set up the show, we are dedicating the first three episodes to recent trends in Ukraine, Europe, and global security. This episode dives into the state of the war in Ukraine. With things looking brighter for Ukraine after a brutal winter, we discuss if they are headed for victory, and if the peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia have achieved anything. If you want to support our show, go to our Buy Me A Coffee [http://buymeacoffee.com/mildlyalarmed] page. Email us at alarmedmildly@gmail.com [alarmedmildly@gmail.com] with any guest feedback, suggestions, and questions. Mentioned in the show: The Kremlin’s Expanding Media Conglomerate 2026 [https://understandingwar.org/research/cognitive-warfare/the-kremlins-expanding-media-conglomerate/] from the Institute for the Study of War 'The state did not protect us' — Deadly mass shooting reignites Ukraine's gun control debate [https://kyivindependent.com/in-ukraine-rare-mass-shooting-rekindles-debate-over-civilian-gun-rights/] from the Kyiv Independent Global energy markets are on the verge of a disaster [https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2026/04/21/global-energy-markets-are-on-the-verge-of-a-disaster?giftId=ZGMwNTQwYzItYmMzNi00MjU1LThjMWItNGNkODM0Y2Q0NTdj&utm_campaign=gifted_article] from The Economist 2026 NPT Review Conference: Why This Moment Matters [https://una.org.uk/publication/2026-npt-review-conference-why-this-moment-matters/] from the United Nations Association — UK Credits: Anastasiia Lapatina is Ukraine Fellow at Lawfare. She writes a weekly newsletter about Ukraine called Yours Ukrainian. [https://yoursukrainian.substack.com/] She is based in Kyiv. Karen-Anna Eggen is a Senior Researcher and the Head of the Programme for Ukraine and Full-Spectrum Threats at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. She is based in Oslo. Fabian Hoffman is a Senior Research Fellow at the Programme for Ukraine and Full-Spectrum Threats at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies. He is the author of the Missile Matters [https://missilematters.substack.com/] newsletter about defence, missile technology, and nuclear strategy. He is based in Oslo. Minna Ålander is an analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs. She’s also an Associate Fellow at Chatham House and a Non-Resident Fellow at CEPA. Minna also writes a newsletter about European security called Northern Flank Notes [https://minnalander.substack.com]. She is based in Stockholm. The podcast is engineered by Anthony Bartaway, who is also the co-host of a podcast called Ukraine Without Hype. [https://podcasts.apple.com/ua/podcast/ukraine-without-hype/id1537219548]