Ep 118, presented by BP: Georgian President Salomé Zourabichvili

Can NATO allies avoid a clash with Trump in Ankara?

Despite all the backslapping and glad-handing, transatlantic tensions are never far from the surface at the annual gathering of NATO leaders. It’s unlikely to be any different when they gather in Ankara next week. Sharp differences over burden-sharing and defense spending, and U.S. complaints about its allies’ lack of involvement in re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, are likely to come to the fore.   EU leaders hope the summit will help steady transatlantic relations, but will President Trump be in listening mode when he arrives in Turkey? On this week’s Brussels Playbook Week Ender podcast, Peter Snowdon talks to Estonia’s Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, who is rapidly increasing his country’s defense budget and capabilities, while Anne McElvoy catches up with POLITICO’s NATO reporter Victor Jack, who has been finding out what’s happening behind the scenes at NATO headquarters. Questions? Comments? Send us a voice note or message us on WhatsApp here [https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=32491050629&text=Hey+Zoya+and+crew%21+&type=phone_number&app_absent=0] or at +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Has Ukraine found Russia’s weak spot?

Ukraine has a rare advantage over Russia … but only if its allies move fast enough to sustain it. After months of attacks on refineries, fuel depots and supply routes, Kyiv has finally hit Russia where it hurts. Hour-long queues, empty pumps and rationing are affecting large parts of the country. The question now is whether it’s enough to actually threaten President Vladimir Putin. Also on the show: French National Rally President Jordan Bardella’s former European Parliament group is caught up in fresh raids over alleged misuse of EU funds. Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton discuss what it could mean for the French far right. Finally: Europe’s most inventive minds are gathering in Berlin today for the European Inventor Award. On the shortlist? Oat milk, life-saving worms and levitating trains. Do you have a favorite European invention? Send it along as a message or voice note to our WhatsApp here [https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=32491050629&text=Hey+Zoya+and+crew%21+&type=phone_number&app_absent=0] or at +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Nobody touch the farm budget — our 100th episode, live from Brussels

We’re celebrating 100 episodes this summer! To mark this milestone, today’s show was recorded in front of a live audience with the full lineup of our rotating podcasts hosts. Kicking us off, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart talk about the Irish presidency that starts today. They discuss how Dublin might tackle one of Europe’s most politically dangerous budget fights: the money allocated for farmers. Next, Zoya is joined by Nick Vinocur to discuss Ursula von der Leyen’s trip to Azerbaijan and Armenia. The EU sees a strategic opening in this region traditionally dominated by Russia — but the diplomatic outreach is not without some tension. Finally: Kathryn Carlson joins Zoya on stage for the final segment where they discuss why shopping online might get pricier if your platforms of choice are from outside the bloc like Temu or Shein. Plus, they reminisce about their favorite silly EU stories so far. Which stories have been your favorite? Send them along as a message or voice note to our WhatsApp here [https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=32491050629&text=Hey+Zoya+and+crew%21+&type=phone_number&app_absent=0] or at +32 491 05 06 29. This episode was produced by Dionis Sturis and Saga Ringmar with help from POLITICO's live events team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Europe’s awkward embrace of Turkey

Three very senior EU heavyweights are on the ground in Turkey today — just days before the NATO summit in Ankara.  When EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner meet Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, security, migration, and connectivity between Europe and Central Asia will be top priorities. Next, the EU institutions’ big recruitment competition, the AD5 entry-level administrator admissions test, is going to get even more brutal than previous iterations. We dig deeper. And finally, last week’s heatwave hit Europe hard, but only about one in five households has air conditioning, and even the Berlaymont’s cooling system was switched off last week for technical reasons. We discuss Europe’s infrastructure problem, which is increasingly coming to the fore. Do you have a question for Zoya and her co-hosts at our 100th episode live recording tomorrow? Send them in for a chance to hear them read out loud on stage. Find our WhatsApp here [https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=32491050629&text=Hey+Zoya+and+crew%21+&type=phone_number&app_absent=0] or at +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Europe’s foreign policy turf war

The EU’s diplomatic service is losing power, people and influence to Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission. Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur look at how the EEAS is fighting for its future — and whether the bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, can turn it around. Plus, Europe tries to reset trade ties with China without backing away from tougher defenses, and Greece puts a bounty on poisonous pufferfish. And hear Finnish President Alexander Stubb on Trump, Ukraine and the future of NATO in his full interview with Dasha Burns on POLITICO’s The Conversation: [https://www.politico.com/video/2026/06/26/finlands-president-stubb-on-trump-putin-and-the-future-of-nato-2112823] Questions? Comments? Send us a voice note or message us on WhatsApp here [https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=32491050629&text=Hey+Zoya+and+crew%21+&type=phone_number&app_absent=0] or at +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]